The problems that afflict women in this country range from gender based violence, poverty, discrimination, illiteracy to food insecurity inter alia. Women candidates have so far borne the brunt of electoral violence which has reared its ugly head once again this year. Violence has so far claimed the life of one female parliamentary aspirant and left scores of others nursing serious injuries. This is without counting hundreds of women who have been killed or displaced by politically instigated ethnic clashes in Mt. Elgon, Kuresoi, Molo and Tana River Districts. Everywhere in Kenya women have been victims of violence. In every election year, they are and often have been raped, mutilated, murdered, verbally abused and forced into prostitution and other social vice.
To stop violence against women, our society needs to look at itself and challenge those values and beliefs that reinforce male violence. Most gender based violence is inextricably linked to male power, privilege and control. In many African communities, gender based violence has long been tolerated, letting the perpetrators go unpunished, their crime tacitly condoned. Violence against women derives essentially from the lower status accorded to women in the family and society. It is further abetted by ignorance, lack of laws to prohibit violence and inadequate efforts by the state and public officials to enforce existing laws. Based on the anachronistic view that a wife is the property of her husband and that therefore he may do with her whatever he deems fit, legal systems in some African countries have even recognised the husband’s right to chastise or even kill the wife. Such cultural beliefs and traditions only help to perpetuate the idea of male dominance and are not conducive to progress. Where they stand in the path of development, every progressive society should discard them.
Women constitute about 52% of the adult population in Kenya. The government needs to address the problem of gender based violence during elections because women’s participation in the development process especially in politics, economics, health, education and environmental protection is crucial. When women are faced with violence, their ability to participate fully in these and other aspects of development is hampered. In 1985 Kenya hosted the World Conference on Women which raised the issue of violence against woman as a matter of international concern. It also called for legal measures to prevent gender violence and the setting up of a national machinery to deal with the issue. Many Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) were thereafter formed by women to address the issue of gender violence. They have and continue to highlight numerous cases of violence against women and the girl child and call for governmental action. In 1994 the Attorney General established a committee to review all laws relating to the status of women in Kenya. In spite of these efforts and historical advantages, Kenya is yet to establish a national body to address gender violence and has continued to lag behind its East African neighbours in ensuring gender parity in public affairs. Although this election has the highest number of women candidates, their impact may not be felt owing to electoral violence. The nomination process was extremely unfair to female aspirants. All the major political parties failed women by declining to condemn or deny party tickets to candidates who perpetrated gender based violence. The Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) and the Kenya Police should deal resolutely with cases of electoral violence against woman. The ECK cannot continue to hide behind the excuse that it lacks the coercive machinery to avert political violence whereas the law gives it explicit power to disqualify candidates who sponsor violence. The police should urgently create a special desk to receive complaints, investigate and dispose of cases of electoral violence directed against women. Voters too must reject candidates who promote partake in gender based violence. A society that disfranchises more than half of its productive membership from participation in its political, social and economic development is a threat to itself. Kenyans cannot afford to take this risk.
