- They decried lots of challenges and hurdles women go through while seeking political office due to unfriendly campaigns environments alongside negative perceptions.
- Ng’ang’a questioned why women were attacked, assaulted, abandoned, neglected or even divorced when they join politics.
Women aspirants have formed Mothers Daughters Political Caucus to address challenges during their campaigns.
Caucus chairperson Jane Nampaso said women aspirants for various positions and political parties from all the 47 counties had subscribed as members.
Nampaso is vying for the Kajiado woman representative seat.
They decried various challenges and hurdles women go through while seeking political office due to unfriendly campaign environment and negative perceptions.
“We established the caucus because we saw it is important to sensitise women on political leadership. We are ahead in several things as women but in politics, we are behind,” Nampaso said.
The women aspirants jointly addressed the press at Maanzoni Lodge in Athi River, Machakos county, on Tuesday.
They women had converged at the hotel for a three-day workshop courtesy of a local non-governmental organisation.
Nampaso said women from the neighbouring Tanzania had over 50 per cent women in parliament, while Kenya lagged behind with a paltry 20 per cent.
“We decided to put our differences behind as women and agreed to unite, sensitise each other,” she said.
She said men should trust women with leadership just as they have done with raising children.
The aspirants cautioned women against being their own enemies and instead support their own.
“Women have the ability to lead. We urge men to support them in politics. We have formed this caucus to remove the desperation that women must sell their faces to win political seats," she said
"We want to encourage women and tell them they can. And if today, men stop seeing us as their enemies, then we will be victorious in all the seats we contest,” Nampaso said.
Njeri Ng’ang’a, an aspirant for Ngei ward seat said women aspirants face many challenges at grassroots.
“Women have to consult their spouses before using money in campaigns. They have also to seek consent before getting to politics,” Ng’ang’a said.
She decried how they are insulted and attacked while seeking votes for positions held by their male counterparts.
“In most cases, people see women seeking political positions as hopeless but we are the ones managing our homes. If a house has no woman, there is a problem,” Ng’ang’a noted.
Ng’ang’a questioned why women were attacked, assaulted, abandoned, neglected or even divorced when they join politics.
“Most women in politics are educated and financially independent. If men and youths are lost in alcohol alongside other drugs, it is women who form groups to help them out of addictions."
"Such women who have done good jobs in the community to transform lives are labeled bad people when it comes to politics,” she added.
She said as a caucus, they won’t leave any woman aspirant behind and will walk the journey together and achieve their goals.
“We don’t want to see any woman in politics being abused, mistreated or her rights infringed. We will all be descent in what we do, guide, protect and support our fellow women in politics,” Ng’ang’a said.