Respect third gender rule in honour of World Social Justice Day, Kenyan politicians urged
By Rosemary Munala
As Kenyans join the rest of the world to mark the World Social Justice Day, political parties must come out clearly to affirm their commitment to one third rule of the Kenya Constitution of 2010.
Ms Pauline Simiyu, the Executive Director, Pragmatic Social Action said while the Constitution of 2010 clearly stated that a third of all public office holders be women, no a political party clamouring for votes has come out to clearly state this as its policy.
“This is injustice being meted on women,” she said. Kenya is set to hold its general elections on 9 August 2022. Voters will elect the President, members of the National Assembly and Senate, county governors and members of the 47 county assemblies.
“The perpetuation of the exclusion of women from public offices, and the continued creation of barriers that hinder women from rising to key political offices and decision- making positions in the formal offices is unacceptable,” added Ms Simiyu.
Speaking in Busia County while interacting with small scale business women and fisherfolk, Ms Simiyu said women in Kenya expect all major political parties to select women to deputise their preferred presidential candidates, and governors.
In addition, she demanded 30 per cent of all nominated MPs and Senators to be women, otherwise all they will be hearing from the leading political candidates is “hot air.”
She said a majority of those in the informal sector are women but they continue facing barriers even to ply their trades of choice adding that only women positioned in high offices can offer hope to the Kenyan women.
As matters stand, Ms Simiyu added, COVID-19 pandemic put a spotlight on the vulnerability of women in the informal economy, most of whom entered the informal sector not by choice, but due to lack of opportunities in the formal economy.
According to the UN, informal workers, who often lack any form of social protection or employment-related benefits, are twice as likely to be poor compared to formal workers.
Ms Simiyu however said even while the majority of women earn their livelihood in the informal sector that has not motivated policy makers to lessen barriers for professional women in the formal sector to rise up the ladders.
“We are concerned. Formal employment sector appears to have decided to perpetuate the patriarchal system against women. Employers have continued to perpetuate the confinement of women to low cadre positions and even among those who rise, are made to earn less,” she said.
She noted the social set up in Kenya necessitates radical changes in the society if just transition to equity in both formal and informal employment is to be achieved.
“This goes beyond promoting policies that lead to the transition to formal employment. Barriers against the female gender must be part of that transition,” she said. The International Labour Organization unanimously adopted the ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization on 10 June 2008.
On 26 November 2007, the General Assembly declared that, starting from the sixty-third session of the General Assembly, 20 February will be celebrated annually as the World Day of Social Justice.
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