development of a society. This however is not in tandem with their numbers in decision-making positions. For instance, from 1945 to 2002, women’s legislative representation increased from 3 per cent to only 14.7 per cent worldwide (Inter-Parliamentary Union, 2003). In Kenya, up until the introduction of multi-party politics in 1991, women rarely made inroads in party structures and thus few managed to be nominated and consequently elected as
Parliamentarians. The situation has improved from 1.2 per cent at independence to 10 per cent in the 10th Parliament.
Though women have made progress since 1992, it is far below the international representation threshold of 30 per cent for effective representation of either gender. Hence the need for further redress.
Kenya is yet to adopt the policy on gender and development mainstreaming in policy, planning, programming and human relations. Parliament passed a Bill for the establishment of a National Commission on Gender and Development and it was inaugurated in November 2004. Women’s ascension to leadership positions and full participation in development continues to be hampered by a number of obstacles. The implication is that women over the years have remained invisible victims of political oppression and are inherently forgotten as political actors.
has been found to be limited. Their absence is therefore an indication of the yet to be achieved democracy with reduced opportunities in the enactment of
laws that are crucial to benefit women and children.
There is increasing recognition of the significant role women play in the socio-economic and political
Opposite page: Flamingos flying over Lake Magadi,. Above: Maasai women.
Obstacles facing women For women to increase their participation in Parliament, they must identify the obstacles and strategies to overcome them. Political participation of women depends on the social and cultural climate of a country. In Kenya, men dominate the political arena; they formulate the rules of the political game and define the standards for evaluation. The existence of this male-dominated model results in
The Parliamentarian | 2010: Issue Three - Kenya | 19