Gender policies win accolades
LIZ MUTHONI | NATION
A member of the National Assembly for the Republic of Seychelles, Ms Jeniffer Vel, makes her contribution during the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Conference on Monday. On the right is Speaker of the Dominica House of Assembly, Ms Alix Boyd Knights.
What you need to know:
- Delegates say representation for women has improved over the last 15 years
Women MPs from Commonwealth Parliaments on Monday met to review progress made in their respective countries to increase women’s representation in leadership.
The MPs said there had been positive change in the last 15 years, with an improved representation of women
Kenya was lauded for the new Constitution with the politicians expressing confidence that it would boost representation of women in positions of power.
The President of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians, Ms Amina Abdalla (Kenyan, nominated MP), took the meeting through the gains for Kenyan women in the new Constitution.
“After years of struggle for political and social reforms including the need to include women at all levels of decision-making, the women of Kenya are finally on the home stretch, and we are so glad you are here to celebrate with us a new gender sensitive Kenya,” she said.
Sharing their experiences, the MPs drawn from 54 Parliaments concluded that barriers and challenges that faced the woman in politics must be faced head on.
The President of the Senate in West Indies, Mrs Leonne Theodore, cited dirty politics, as one of the main barriers to women seeking elective positions.
Ms Noxono Abaraham-Ntatiso, an MP from South Africa, said qualifications were not important but the right mindset.
Millennium Development Goal 3 seeks increased representation of women in decision-making, and the meeting observed that generally there had been a positive change of the political face as women rise to key positions in government.
“Even though the progress is slow, it is positive change and we have to shed off misconception that men are the leaders,” said Ms Harsimrat Kaur Badal, an Indian MP.
