Why Kenyan Women Envy Rwanda in The Implementation of Gender Rule

In Summary

Amdany challenged political parties to implement the principle, stressing that without the support of party leadership progress on the gender rule would continue to be affected.
They cited Rwanda’s political goodwill that significantly increased women’s participation in decision making

In their ongoing efforts to realize the not more than two thirds gender principle in Kenya, the multi sectoral working group on the realization of the not more than two thirds gender principle has commenced stakeholder engagements in Nairobi.

Despite the four unsuccessful attempts to operationalize this rule, the taskforce says it remains steadfast in its push for a more inclusive political landscape in the country.

During a stakeholders meeting between the media and the gender rule taskforce that is co-chaired by Veronica Nduva and Daisy Amdany, they emphasized the crucial role of political goodwill in achieving the two thirds gender principle.

“Of cause for now it looks like a women’s issue because the women are the beneficiary, but wholesomely it is not,” Amdany said.

“We do have a problem of political impunity …. you would imagine that once a court has ruled on a certain matter then it would be followed to the letter but that did not happen…for the longest time there has been no political cost for shortchanging women in this country,”

Lessons from Rwanda

Amdany highlighted the ongoing collaboration between the government and the opposition that led to the formation of a dialogue committee that is also looking at the persistent challenges associated with the gender rule saying it was high time the issue of the two thirds gender rule was finalized.

On the other hand, former chair of the National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC) Winfred Lichuma pointed out Rwanda’s remarkable achievements after President Paul Kagame’s political goodwill that led to the implementation of a 30 percent gender quota in 2003.

The subsequent elections saw 48.8 percent of the seats won by women, and by 2013 women held 67 percent of seats.

Lichuma highlighted the positive impact of women in Rwandan parliament intimating that that could be replicated in Kenya if the Gender rule is enforced in the country.

Women in Rwandan government have played a key role in revising the civil code to ensure equal inheritance and succession rights.

They have also played a key role in initiating laws on equal pay and even addressing gender based violence among other important laws that have positively impacted the women in Rwanda.