Discrimination and intimidation of women leaders is something that has been happening since time immemorial. But it was so rampant in the August elections where several women aspirants were threatened and bullied into dropping their bid for elective positions. Kenya is among the democratic nations that allow citizens to elect women leaders and set aside laws that advocate for gender equality. In the recently concluded elections, out of the 47 governors, women clinched three seats. We also have 3 women senators, 23 women MPs and 47 women reps. But it is quite unfortunate that the discrimination and intimidation of women leaders is being perpetuated by their male counterparts whom we expect to protect them. This is a very primitive behavior that should be done away with as soon as yesterday.
This year has been an electioneering period and both men and women were contesting to get elected for various seats. As the campaigns were on-going, a lot of women who were contesting for different seats came out to put out claims that they were being harassed and discriminated upon. For instance, Sheila Githaiga who was a Nyeri senator aspirant was attacked by more than 30 armed men with machetes. According to her report, it was aimed to push her out of the race through threats and bullies. Another instance of intimidation can be seen through the story of Caroline Wangai who was an MCA aspirant. She claimed that her male counterparts were capitalizing on gender issues and spreading the notion that women shouldn’t be leaders. That they are confined to home-making. Esther Passaris who is now the women representative for Nairobi County was also held hostage and roughed up by goons at Nairobi University. These acts of intimidation of women leaders are not just confined to politics but also in other spheres of life.
The most recent and shocking act of intimidation has been experienced by the governor of Kitui, Charity Ngilu. This is the statement uttered by Nimrob Mbai, a Kitui East Mp, ” Charity Ngilu should be raped in her office if she doesn’t stop her hard political stand against Uhuru Kenyatta.” This left Kenyans gob smacked and very annoyed and unable understand why a leader during the 21st century can have the audacity to openly discriminate a woman leader without even blinking. We’re still waiting for an apology from the legislator because he owes it to all of us especially women of this great nation.
We are in the 21st Century and we need ensure that Kenya is an intimidation free area, where people can stand for what they believe in and not shunned because of their beliefs or due to the patriarchal nature of our society. When women leaders are being discriminated openly, we must ask ourselves some deep questions; Is this the kind of country we want to hand over to our daughters? Are we in a position to stop and stand against women intimidation and discrimination? It starts with educating the young people in the society to learn to respect everyone irrespective of their tribe, gender or social status. A major aspect that will ensure that women leaders are not intimated and discriminated upon in Kenya is setting strict laws against the discrimination and intimidation of women leaders and just every other individual in the society.
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