GGP, a household name

 The Gender and Governance Programme is very well spread and known. It has created a lot interest around women’s leadership and participation.

Speaking to ACWICT team, Fred Ochieng who is the Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist for the Gender & Governance Programme reported that though change does not come in a day, The Gender Governance Programme has established that men are changing their views and even campaigning for women in the majority of the constituencies.

In Turkana South, it was mentioned that Beatrice Askul has mobilized old well-respected men in the community to ask for votes on her behalf. This is evidence that women’s leadership in a remote and patriarchal community is not a piped dream.

Additionally, Nyanza and Western provinces also reported the acceptance of women as leaders. Though more work needed to be done, the fruits of hard work by the partners in those constituencies were evident by the support that the aspirants continued to receiving particularly from the male electorate.

It was also noted that female aspirants were receiving training from the GGP partners and proof of their education and skill was evidenced in the articulation of their campaign pledges. Thus it was no peculiar scene to see groups of both men and women listening to female aspirants in the halls, the market places and other public gatherings as they spoke of development, change and good leadership.

In a recent forum, held in Meru where selling female candidature is no easy task, Mrs. Asenath Nyamu spoke confidently of the road ahead. Accompanied by 10 civic aspirants, all who happened to be female, positive karma exuded in their speech and actions.

The Gender Response Recovery Unit launched at the ECWD, is a major milestone for women in leadership. The Gender & Governance Programme is about to put to the past instances of intimidation and violence that have impede women’s participation in politics.

The GRRU, which is the first of its kind in Kenya, was established to provide rapid response services to survivors of Electoral Gender Based Violence. It was highlighted that Electoral Gender Based Violence takes several forms of suffering such as sexual abuse, psychological, emotional or physical harm to women including threats of such acts. Sometimes the violations are directed to the families of the aspirants. The Gender Rapid Response Unit (GRRU) was established following the recent spate of electoral violence especially against women as the 2007 general elections drew close. In his report, Mr. Ochieng also mentioned that it had been reported that about six women aspirants had been beaten and attacked by groups and gangs, with more being insulted and threatened though different forms of media such as emails and sms’s with most of the threats being downright insulting and demeaning and some having sadly come to fruition with some aspirants being admitted in hospital recuperating from injuries caused by the attacks. It was said that despite this reality, history had shown that electoral violence against women in Kenya most of the time, went unreported. Mr Ochieng encouraged aspirants and members of the public that through the hotlines, they’d be in a position to efficiently report any incidences of violence either physical or verbal. 

He also urged Kenyans to take pride in the large numbers of women who had presented themselves for posts of leadership noting that there had never before, in this country, been so many women of all ages and creeds taking up the challenge to fight it out in a largely patriarchal political arena. They would make history and the only way to ensure that Kenya moved with the rest of the world in embracing women’s leadership was offering our support.

In conclusion, Mr. Ochieng said the steps ahead would be crucial for GGP, the female aspirants and her partners to ensure that the good results are seen in the 10th Parliament and local authorities.

Women must come together and conduct collective campaigns, get men to speak well of them and link up with the constituency opinion shapers. The media is also going to play a big role for women. They must and should bring out women positively and visibly.