The role of men in advancing women’s political rights

Kennedy Otina – Coordinator, Men for Gender Equality Now (MEGEN), African Women’s Development and Communication Network (FEMNET) Nairobi.

Fighting violence against women

Men for Gender Equality Now (MEGEN) is gravely concerned about violence that normally happens around election period. Mostly the victims in this violence are women. We feel already that women are disadvantaged in two specific ways: one, that there’s cultural discrimination, and then secondly, the electoral violence, a lot of times women can not withstand the violence because of their feminine nature. MEGEN is concerned about two things: The first is for us to communicate to fellow men that there’s need for them to vote with their electors’ cards and not with clubs and fists. And the second thing is that we should encourage women to contest for political positions and not stay at home only to dance at political rallies organised by men and serve tea at men’s parties.

We are alive to the reality that a lot of bad things that have happened to this country have been caused by men. We will be launching a serious campaign during the 16-Days of Activism, usually the campaign is marked between November 25th to mark the International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women to December 10th, the International Human rights Day. The days are chosen to symbolically link Violence Against Women (VAW) and human rights. We shall hold our Men Traveling Conferences in an effort to sensitize men to desist from violence and support women. This we shall do by use of posters, physical campaigns and through branding of buses.

On Affirmative Action

MEGEN firmly believes in Affirmative Action. One thing for sure is that women have for a very long time been relegated to the periphery of development realm, in the management and the running of both private and public institutions as well as involvement in the decision making of our country. It is because of this that women have not achieved so much in terms of their own development. Considering this reason, I believe, firmly indeed, that their must be a deliberate move to bring up women to participate in decision making and involve them in management of resources in this country and fully participate in leadership at all levels.

Women leadership: The advantage

At the moment I can confidently say women are not tainted, we don’t get to hear or read in the press that women are involved in impropriety unlike most of their men colleagues. Women are coming in to offer fresh leadership. And sampling examples from the few who have been in leadership positions, I can positively attest that they are very committed to the needs of their communities. Look at the men in parliament today; they are people we have been recycled for a long time while anything good offered by them is invisible. Look at the devolved funds, we see a lot more plunder, a testimony that they can not be trusted. If we give women opportunity, we will see more progress. Men start up projects that eventually stall along the way. Look at Phoebe Asiyo who was so instrumental in development in her constituency while she was the area member of parliament. The projects that she initiated have not been completed by the male leadership in the area.

On Kenya getting a woman president

Kenya like any other country that has shown maturity in democratic process can have a woman president. Indeed Kenya must have a woman president. Kenya can not be an exemption. I don’t believe that the presidency is a preserve of one particular gender. Liberia in Africa for instance has led the way. In Europe, Germany has proved that it is possible. These examples prove that there’s something positive that women’s leadership come with that is not present in men. There’s nothing men are doing except sit behind a large chain and do little else.