We are proud as a country since there has been growth in terms of women's participation in politics, IEBC CEO Marjan Hussein Marjan has said.
Marjan said despite the fact that several women emerged victorious and took over various elective positions across the country in the 2022 general elections, the trajectory was dismal hence the need to sensitise them on electoral processes with an intent of boosting the numbers in 2027 polls.
“Today, we are here because of the Forum for African Women Educationists’ initiative to train young women and political aspirants on how they can be able to participate in political space and become leaders,” Marjan said.
The Commission’s CEO spoke when he officially opened the FAWE’s engagement of young women leaders and aspirants with IEBC and ORPP three – days’ three-day workshop in Machakos County on Wednesday.
“We are here to ensure that women are trained to understand the electoral processes and challenges they face, opportunities available for them and how they can become better leaders in future,” Marjan said.
“We recognise that as a country, women have got the potential to become good leaders in the democratic space and we encourage more of them especially young women to join in this space.
"Ensure that would-be voters are registered as voters and also gather support from themselves and people who are in the position to support them gunner more positions in 2027 general elections.”
Marjan said women shouldn’t only ascend to elective positions, but also non-elective positions of leadership.
He said the commission was keen on the two–thirds gender rule as dictated by the Constitution of Kenya 2010.
Marjan said the workshop was just the beginning of many other trainings that IEBC had lined up in collaboration with other partners like FAWE.
“We encourage more partners to join FAWE in this initiative and ensure that we have got more participation of women in politics in future,” he said.
He said as a commission they had not only been advocating for not more than two–thirds gender rule, but also inclusivity in leadership.
Marjan said the commission has put in place an agenda-inclusive policy which not only mainstreams women's inclusion in operations of the commission but also when it comes to participation of women in elections, they have reduced the fees to half for women to encourage them to participate.
FAWE Finance and Administration director Richard Chalagat said they were as an organisation committed to having a gender-responsive response where women and girls in Africa get the best education and claim for their positions not only political but all including job opportunities.
Chalagat said the NGO has 34 chapters in the continent.
They are envisioned to ensure that all girls and women thrive in all areas of their lives.
He said their motto was ‘to educate to elevate,’ through access to quality education, evidence-based research and institutional strengthening.
Chalagat said the ongoing workshop in Machakos was being attended by 30 women from the 47 counties.
“We want to empower all the women so that they can rise up and go for elective positions, not only women representatives but all offices. It’s time for the women to rise,” chalagat said.
He said women need the right skills, know the processes of registering with the Registrar of Political Parties and how to rise and become leaders in all spheres to ensure that they can network with other partners to get funding locally and internationally.
Participant Rahma Issa from Bungoma County said the training was important to women especially those aspiring for political positions like herself.
“We have seen women in our communities trying to rise up, but again, issues of gender injustices, and stereotypes continue to bring them down in terms of how best they can elevate issues of women and girls, gender-based violence, resources, and information gaps when it comes to different political ideas and ideologies,” Issa said.
Issa said FAWE had been of great support to them as women by ensuring that they get information, learning from the best and tapping opportunities on how best they could go beyond issues around gender gaps and resource mobilisation.
“It’s the moment for IEBC to set up structures that are in favour of women and to formulate policies as well as join hands with the government to ensure that they come up with policies that are favourable to women and girls in this country,” she said.