The keys to progress when it comes to gender equality is support and taking initiative. That is exactly what President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya is doing.
He is pushing for the Judiciary to move the political class to pass the two-thirds gender rule. This rule states that not more than two-thirds of the members of elective public bodies shall be of the same gender.
President Kenyatta spoke during the International Association of Women Judges conference. He wants to push courts to ensure that those who get elective positions have female equality in mind for the next five years.
“I urge the Legislature and indeed the political class to engage with the nation particularly in terms of gender representation and the two-thirds gender rule,” he said.
This is essential for moving forward and truly achieving gender equality. However, it’s easier said than done. That is why it is so important for leaders, such as President Kenyatta, to speak out and stand up for those who do not receive the same opportunities.
He stated, “We must have women as equal partners in leading and governing ourselves. Women and girls must have the same opportunity and protection as men and boys. Economic freedom must know no gender. We are headed in that direction and I am proud to lead in this regard.”
Restricting women from leading and governing positions does a lot of harm, especially to future generations of young women who want to lead the world in a better direction. He makes an excellent point when stating, “We cannot progress if half of the population is still underprivileged.”
President Kenyatta says that the only way Kenya can fully achieve its goals is by ensuring that both men and women have equal chances of thriving.
Acknowledging the gender gap in politics and presenting solutions is exactly what is needed to move forward. It will help break down and eliminate the discrimination that we see today. The Judiciary has improved, and the President also has made note of this in terms of ratio between men and women.
Chief Justice David Maraga, who also spoke at the IAWJ conference, said that women working in the Judiciary almost tally with the number of men. Out of the 4,326 Judiciary employees, 2,032 are women.
Women and men will continue to fight for the increase of female political participation and gender equality. Although it is not easy, it is also not impossible. Everyday there are leaders, like President Kenyatta, who are pushing for equality and who refuse to quit until it is achieved.
Featured Image by Dylan Walters on Flickr
Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)
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