- Wetangula was speaking during the Kenya Women Parliamentary Association (KEWOPA) induction workshop in Naivasha.
- He said that Rwanda and Cuba are the only parliaments that so far have a female majority.
Image: JULIUS OTIENO
National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula has said that achieving a two-thirds gender rule in Parliament is possible if more women choose to run or get nominated to the house.
Wetangula was speaking during the Kenya Women Parliamentary Association (KEWOPA) induction workshop in Naivasha.
He said that Rwanda and Cuba are the only parliaments that so far have a female majority.
“The election of more women to Parliament is contingent on more women choosing to and or being nominated to run for parliamentary positions,” he said.
He said that in both politics and public life, women have historically been underrepresented especially in higher ranks.
Quoting Michelle Bachelet, he said that a better democracy is where women do not only have the right to vote and to elect but to be elected.
“However, I note that there is a steady increase of elected female Members of Parliament in this 13th Parliament as opposed to the previous Parliaments, and I say congratulations to the enlightened Kenyan voter,” he said.
He lauded the continuous efforts by KEWOPA to effectively shape legislation on the women’s agenda through formulating and implementing programmes intended to facilitate the growth and development of women leaders.
He said that KEWOPA has heavily spearheaded the push for the realization of the two-thirds gender principle as dictated by the Constitution.
“KEWOPA’s approach to gender equality and women empowerment recognises the unequal access to historical disadvantages that have been created by social norms and hierarchies leading to discrimination based on gender,” he said.
He further lauded KEWOPA for mentoring many aspiring women leaders, empowering them and thus encouraging more women to participate in general elections.