Women from North Eastern urged to seek more elective posts in 2017 elections
Garissa Woman Rep Shukran Gure addressing journalists shortly after distributing portable market sheds in Garissa Town on November 22, 2016. She urged women in North Eastern to seek more elective posts besides the seat reserved for women. PHOTO | ABDIMALIK HAJIR | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Ms Gure regretted that the region has never elected a woman MP, MCA or any other elected leader other than the ‘obvious’ women seat.
- This, she said, is despite women and youth commanding the biggest voting bloc.
- She regretted that women remain their own worst enemies when it comes to electing their own.
- She urged the security officers in the region to be on the lookout for individuals who incite communities against each other.
Women in North Eastern Kenya have been challenged to vie for more elective positions other than the woman representative’s post in the 2017 general elections.
Speaking after donating over 1,000 portable market sheds to women vendors at the Garissa open air market, Garissa Woman Representative Shukran Gure regretted that the region has never elected a woman MP, MCA or any other elected leader other than the ‘obvious’ women seat.
This, she said, is despite women and youth commanding the biggest voting bloc.
Ms Gure said it is the high time women rise above retrogressive cultural beliefs that have marginalised them when it comes to seeking elective posts.
"Times have changed and more women in the region have demonstrated, just like the rest of the country, that they offer good, quality leadership like their male counterparts," she said.
"Women form the highest percentage of the voting population and if we unite nothing will stop us from clinching all the elective seats. This can be achieved," she added.
She regretted that women remain their own worst enemies when it comes to electing their own and urged them to change the notion come next general elections.
She urged the security officers in the region to be on the lookout for individuals who incite communities against each other, saying that when clashes occur its women and the youth who suffer most.
