Women leaders are calling for policies that can protect them from gender based violence (GBV) as they pursue their political careers.

In a two-day forum held in Nakuru focusing on Deepening Democracy -Focus on Women in Leadership, more than twenty elected and special elect women, Members of County Assembly (MCA) from Nakuru, Kericho, Bomet and Baringo, called for reform that could create a conducive environment for women leaders across the country.

In an Interview with Mtaa Wangu, Bahati area MCA, Grace Wambui, said more often than not women in politics are in the frontline in the fight against violence extended to women and girls. However, they do not get help when the same vice is extended to them.

Read: How women grapple with forced FGM, objectification, when seeking political seats

“As a leader my lowest moment is when a male counterpart takes to social media and decides to bully and abuse me yet nothing is done to him. The emotional toll from this is at times unbearable as a mother and a leader.,” she says

Additionally, she said that it is quite unfortunate that some male leaders still hold chauvinistic ideas that a woman’s rightful place is in the house doing chores whereas they hold the rights to rule.

Factoring in these sentiments, Ms. Wambui called for political parties to call out misogynistic male leaders who violate women’s rights and have them face the consequences of the acts.

On the other hand, Kericho County Women Caucus Chair,Irene Lang'at called for more training on GBV to sensitize women leaders on how to navigate the vice.

“In Kericho we have proposed a gender bill that will protect our women in politics. Nonetheless, today’s forum has created a network of empowered women who can stand with each other in the case one of us is met by violence. We would wish to this also extend to our assemblies so that our male colleagues could also be sensitized on matters GBV,” she said

Echoing her sentiments, the programs manager at Gender Violence Recovery Center, Joel Mureithi, says in partnership with UN Women they have been organizing psychosocial support for women in politics to help them navigate cases of GBV.

Programs manager at Gender Violence Recovery Center, Joel Mureithi in the Deepening Democracy -Focus on Women in Leadership forum held in Nakuru

Photo credit: PURITY KINUTHIA/MTAA WANGU

Other than that, he notes the GVRC has been intentional to rope in male leaders to sensitive them on matters GBV and educate them the role they play in the fight against gender based violence on women in politics.

Additionally, he notes that the sessions they have been conducting have also been to allow women leaders to share their stories and learn from one another on how they were able to overcome the setbacks they were facing while they were seeking political seats.

He notes that GVRC hopes to get into conversations with various stakeholders, including the political parties, Judiciary and other players in the political sector to ensure that the existing laws that need to be improved are worked and look into implementations of laws that will protect women during the electioneering period.

Other recommendations made by MCAs present was capacity building and mentorship from the grass root level to ensure that each leader from the lower to the highest rank will be intentional in the fight against GBV as to eradicate the vice.

Related: Kanyiri Wairimu: Why I advocate for women land rights in Nakuru County

Equal opportunities to women, implementations of the two-thirds gender rule and financial support by party to women leaders to help them have enough muscle to deliver in their duty.

Wanjirukinuthia20@gmail.com

Women in politics advocate for policies that will protect them from GBV

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