As the world celebrates the International Women's Day, we need to acknowledge that Kenyan women in critical decision-making positions, both in public and private sectors, have significantly increased, assisted mainly by adoption and evolution of gender-fair governance practices.
Specifically, the minimum “one third” female representation rule in public service has progressively ensured that women empowerment is engrained as a routine auditable practice.
However, in elective representation, we are experiencing slower progress. With about 20 percent women MPs, Kenya unfavourably compares with about 28 percent in the USA, 35 percent in the UK, 32 percent in EU and surprisingly about 60 percent in Rwanda.
It is my opinion that Kenya should not rush to nominate women to Parliament to meet the one third rule, for indeed the constitutional intention is elected representation. What is needed is to change election and party rules to compel parties to nominate no less than one-third women candidates to contest elective posts at both national and county levels.
Of course, we have politically courageous and astute women leaders who will be elected with or without gender balancing rules, and a number of them can propel themselves to the highest political office in Kenya. Charity Ngilu exemplifies this category of political women, who should be emulated by aspiring women leaders.
We have witnessed extraordinary women around the world who through sheer tenacity stood their ground to become strong and effective national and global leaders.
There was Golda Meir of Israel, Indira Gandhi of India, Margaret Thatcher of the UK, Angela Mekel of Germany, Nancy Pelosi of USA and currently in the making is the cool Ursula Leyen, the President of EU.
In the corporate world, all we need is to affirmatively encourage and assist deserving women to assume positions of responsibility. As long as open and equal opportunities for all genders exist in education and professional fields, women in corporate leadership will continue to increase.
My observation over the past 50 years I have been in corporate world and parastatal boards, is that women have unique intrinsic leadership qualities that ensure progressive and stable growth in whatever they are responsible for. They are effective at consolidating and conserving resources to support systematic and steady growth. They shun crisis and bravado and usually encourage all to walk along.
Finally, to the organisers of today’s celebratory events, it is disappointing to exclude rural and community women leadership in what looks like elitist celebrations.
