- The 64th session Commission on the Status of Women will be hosted at the United Nations headquarters from March 9.
- Speaker Muturi washes his hands on who to travel as that is the mandate of Kewopa and Committee on Labour.
Male MPs are jostling for slots to attend a UN women's conference in New York next month.
The 64th session of the Commission on the Status of Women will be hosted at the United Nations headquarters from March 9.
The meeting, which has been traditionally a preserve of women lawmakers, has elicited interests "from the unusual quarters".
Suna East MP Junet Mohammed rallied Parliament for the inclusion of men in the list of attendees.
Parliament intends to send a delegation of 15 MPs to the week-long meeting, a list Junet wants to be scrutinised.
He said they were briefed at an earlier UN forum – May 2019 – that the conference is not just about the woman but both genders.
“Any delegation that is sent to the conference must consist of both genders – male and female. We want to have a 50:50 representation,” he said.
The MP, in seeking Speaker Justin Muturi’s intervention, said they had been ignorant of the provision for men to attend.
“I am saying this because we did not know it was that way until we attended the UN meeting. We (men) have a lot to contribute to the advancement of women affairs. There is a lot to add to the welfare, well-being and advancement of women agenda,” he MP said.
Women lawmakers attend the UN forum under the Kenya Women Parliamentary Association.
Junet’s voice was drowned by that of Nandi Woman MP Tecla Tum who wants the men locked out for “refusing to support the women in the contentious gender bill.”
“We are going to discuss women issues and the men will not go with us,” Tum said.
There have been four unsuccessful attempts to pass the bill on two-thirds gender in Parliament, the latest despite efforts by President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga.
Junet was backed by the leader of Majority Aden Duale and his Minority counterpart John Mbadi.
Duale suggested that the team should pick those who are opposed to issues like the two-thirds gender ‘to convince them’.
“CSW is not only for women. Women require their male colleagues to be convinced. If there is a delegation of 10, at least four should be male,” the Garissa Township MP said.
Mbadi explained: “The two-thirds gender rule failed because some men have not come to terms with the dispensation of women in leadership. Our female colleagues need to support men who have such issues. Let them be exposed through these trips.”
Nominated MP Cecily Mbarire agreed that men should be included but "there must be a cut".
She maintained: “We don’t want just to carry a male delegation. We want men who support the cause of women in this country through action.”
She cited the efforts by Mt Elgon MP Fred Kapondi – who moved the FGM Bill in the 10th Parliament, and Ndaragwa MP Jeremiah Kioni who has been pushing for the implementation of the bill to implement the two-thirds gender rule.
“We went with Kapondi to one of the CSWs to show by example the support men do towards women’s issues.”
The New York meeting will seek to appraise participating countries on the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
It will also review the implementation of the outcomes of the 23rd special session of the General Assembly.
Speaker Muturi said he has no role in selecting or even knowing which members are travelling as the same is under the ambit of Kewopa and Committee on Labour.
He encouraged the committee – both of the Senate and National Assembly, to consider nominating male members for the trip.
“The Commission on the Status of Women conference should not be a matter of one gender. It would be prudent if we observed gender parity.”