Female lawmakers have been challenged to mentor aspiring women politicians to increase the number of women in leadership positions in the future.
Moiben MP Phylis Bartoo, who is an executive member of the Kenya Women Parliamentary Association (KEWOPA), emphasised the importance of mentoring and nurturing the next generation of female leaders.
"As female legislators, it's incumbent upon us to help guide and nurture our sisters who have expressed interest in leadership positions. This can be one of the ways we will give back to the community," she said.
She stressed the need for women leaders to be effective, noting that supporting and mentoring potential leaders will contribute positively to society, considering the good performance of the current crop of female legislators.
“The elected women leaders have generally proved to be effective and equal to the task. We will lose nothing by holding the hands of other potential leaders,” explained the Moiben legislator.
Bartoo shared these insights at a Naivasha hotel during the closure of a two-day mentorship training organised for KEWOPA members from both the National Assembly and the Senate.
The training covered crucial topics such as gender-responsive policy formulation and wellness, and mental health.
On the final day of the workshop, the legislators were guided through how to navigate the political arena and leverage technology to build their brands.
The theme of the mentorship training workshop was 'Promoting Women’s Political Participation and Leadership.
In August, the Registrar of Political Parties Anne Nderitu said women still have a lot to do in their quest to hold more elective positions.
Nderitu said women have the potential to get more leadership positions if only they take the election campaigns more seriously.
"Women running for political offices tend to start their campaigns and registration into parties just when the main election day is close. This makes their campaign bid weak in the long run," Nderitu said.
She said there are fewer women in political parties yet when it comes to voting, women make up the majority of voters.