NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #18/NN_1992_18.iso/spool/misc/activism/progress/5777

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From: [e-mail] (Rich Winkel)
Subject: KENYA: WOMEN DETERMINED TO GET POWER
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/** reg.safrica: 195.0 **/
** Topic: IPS: 07/91 **
** Written  7:05 am  Aug  8, 1992 by gavan@UCT_elc.mth.uct.ac.za in cdp:reg.safrica **

/* Written 12:10 am  Jul 25, 1992 by newsdesk in cdp:ips.englibrary */
/* ---------- "KENYA: WOMEN DETERMINED TO GET POWE" ---------- */
Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Reference: Women
Title: KENYA: WOMEN DETERMINED TO GET POWER

an inter press service feature

by horace awori

nairobi, jul 22 (ips) -- twenty-nine years of nationhood has not
enabled kenyan women to realise their expectations and instead
they remain marginalised by a male dominated establishment,
women's groups say.

following the return of multiparty democracy to the east
african nation this year, kenyan women are already putting out
feelers to determine their place on the political platform.

according to leaders of the national women's movement, they
will no longer settle for token appointments in the public
service. they are demanding an equal share of power and
opportunities in a country of 24 million people, where women
constitute slightly over 50 percent of the population.

having a woman assistant minister in the present government,
three women judges, a permanent secretary and several heads of
parastatal bodies is a nominal demonstration of equality with
their male counterparts, they say.

''the time has come for women to go to parliament to plan for
the betterment of this country because the men have failed'',
says phoebe asiyo, a former member of parliament who will be
seeking to regain her seat in the forthcoming elections.

presidential and general elections are due to be held in
early 1993. a number of political parties formed recently
will field candidates to contest the presidency, held by the
ruling kenya african national union (kanu) since independence
from britain in december 1963.

some 200 women who attended a two-day ''confidence building''
seminar here last week, endorsed the leader of kenya's green
movement and a renowned critic of the present government,
professor wangari maathai, to stand for the presidency.

''we simply need a woman of professor maathai's calibre to
tackle the men and ensure that we have a woman president in
1993'', said wambui otieno, another aspirant for a seat in the
house. the assembly has never had more than three women mps.

''things are a little more complicated. i am a member of ford
(forum for restoration of democracy) and the party has no
shortage of presidential aspirants. i am not afraid, but i need
to consider the proposal seriously and to consult my party'',
maathai told her supporters. (more/ips)


kenya: women (2)

determined to turn the tables on kenya's political tradition,
the national committee for the status of women has set up a fund
for campaign expenses of women presidential and parliamentary
candidates.

chaired by an outspoken political science lecturer at the
university of nairobi, dr. maria nzomo, the committee organised
the seminar to ''build the confidence of women, especially those
still unsure about political office due to socio-cultural and
other limitations''.

commenting on the women's initiative, a nairobi daily, 'the
standard', said gender should not be the only issue.

''what should be of concern to women is for women who are
honest, capable and willing to lead and have been denied such
opportunity in the past, to be able to come up'', the paper
pointed out this week.

but dr. doris onyango of kenyatta university does not
subscribe to the paper's opinion. the reaction of 'the standard'
was typical of the male attitude to any demands for power by the
women, she told ips.

''we all know how the male dominated government and
parliament have been so derogatory when dealing with issues of
serious concern to women'', she argues, pointing out that
amendments to kenya's marriage bill, proposed more than 10 years
ago, were thrown out and the bill kept in abeyance since then
because it was fair to both sides.

''the inheritance law is still full of loopholes as far as
women are concerned'', onyango says, adding that despite
providing for equality of sexes in kenya's constitution, ''...in
practice the women of this country are still downtrodden.''

martha mugendi, a banker, told ips that kenyan women must
seize the opportunity now or it will never come again. but
businesswoman catherine mungai, much as she feels that the
issues in this country ''have not been dealt with the
seriousness they deserve, we must not make the mistake of being
so militant that we appear to reject any form of male
leadership''.

she says just as the men cannot run this country without the
important role of the women, ''we need to recognise too the role
of men and not be unnecessarily confrontational''.

''this is a small band of educated urban women who are aspiring
for power'', charged an official of kanu. ''the majority of
women are in the rural areas and they are the ones who need
seminars on elections and registration of voters, not this
elitist group''. (end/ips/ha/ar/oa/92)



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