Are women going round in circles?

For the first time in Kenyan history, the just concluded party primaries registered the highest number of women nominees.

More than 120 women were nominated to run for parliamentary seats compared to 44 women in 2002.

Women leaders at a political meeting. There are more women candidates than there were in previous general elections.

Yet, the factors that posed a challenge to women aspirants in 2002 remain the same today.

Electoral violence, bribery, hooliganism, verbal abuse and threats against women aspirants repeated themselves during this year’s nomination.

While some of the women nominees are touted as among those with high chances of making it to the next Parliament, most parties had no women nominees. And even those who won in these parties have little chance of making it in the December 27 elections.

Ms Tabitha Seii, Keiyo South ODM nominee, says voter bribery is the biggest obstacle for women aspirants, as they usually do not have money to woo voters.

Seii does not think women will perform better this time round.

"Very many people have been attracted to contest and this has made the field very crowded. Although there are more women now, the opportunities are fewer."

Former councillor Ms Muthoni Kihara, who contested the Kamukunji seat on a PNU ticket, believes that women can only perform well if they get support from their parties.

"I only got help from some women in my party. The party has generally not done much to support women," says Muthoni who failed to clinch the ticket.

So what would she want her party to do?

"There’s a lot of rigging. Parties should at least ensure a free and fair election," she says.

She thinks it’s not easy for parties to give women direct nominations.

Says she: "It wouldn’t be fair. Parties are usually funded by individuals and the interests of these financiers prevail anyway. Hopefully the Political Parties Act will regulate this so that parties can be fairer to women."

Mrs Linah Namulunda Kibtukhani — who unsuccessfully contested for Soysambu civic ward in Bungoma North District on Ford-Kenya ticket — says rural women face electoral violence, are hampered by traditions and lack campaign resources.

" During campaigns women were told to go back to the kitchen and leave politics to men," says Namulunda.

Mr Peter Kubebea, ODM-Kenya’s vice-chair and director of elections, believes the problem is due to fewer women coming out to vie for political positions.

According to the Electoral Commission of Kenya, 2,548 candidates will contest parliamentary seats. Out of these, women form a paltry 269. For civic seats the total number stands at 15,332 with women constituting 1,475.

A few women come up

"It’s an issue of only few women coming up. The number of women still needs to be stepped up," says Kubebea.

He says that ODM-Kenya believes in affirmative action. He said his party gave direct nomination to Imenti North’s Ms Flora Tera.

But what happens if very few women make it?

"Our priority when we get into Government is to create a constitution that guarantees the participation of women in politics on a 50-50 basis," he says.

"It’s a long term process. It will not happen today or tomorrow. Women have to keep on agitating from all levels — at parties and at the grassroots level."

But Ms Nancy Abisai, an ODM National Executive Council member and party’s women’s leader, is optimistic. She says that the party has been supportive of women with some wellwishers providing them with material support.

Abisai explains the dilemma the party finds itself in trying to ensure gender parity:

"We were in a debate on how to ensure women get well represented. When we said that women should get direct nomination, it was said it would not be fair to men and would contravene our party constitution and election guidelines."

To her, the problem is not with the parties but rather in the constituencies, where negative perceptions about women’s place in the society are still common.

"Right now the problem is on the ground and not about the party. It’s about cultural issues. And it is beyond the parties’ reach," she argues.

Coalition politics have also been cited as a hindrance to women’s rise into political leadership.

Ms Yvonne Khamati, a deputy permanent representative to the African Union, believes that party leaders should support women after they are nominated.

"A majority of nominated MPs should be women," says Yvonne.

She is, however, optimistic that many women will elected. "We’ll see more women getting into Parliament and civic authorities this time round."

"I see a shift in the political dispensation. Women on party lists who lose nominations can choose to remain in their parties and negotiate for positions in Government from within," says Khamati.

"They can then use this as a springboard to the next election. They should use the Political Party’s Act to ensure that gender parity is actualised after the elections."

As the clock ticks to the election date, women leaders may need to lay out strategies to ensure their issues remain relevant on the political scene. As it looks, there may not be much to celebrate in terms of numbers.