Fida-Kenya launches #VoteADada campaign
Fida-Kenya Chairperson Nancy Ikinu (left) during the Women Leadership Conference held at a Nairobi hotel last month. The meeting marked the launch of Vote A Dada campaign aimed at empowering women to compete in the upcoming General Election.
What you need to know:
- Fida- Kenya has launched a campaign to promote participation of women in political leadership ahead of the 2022 General Election.
- The campaign, which has the support of other organisations also aims at building a sensitisation aimed at building capacity of women eyeing elective seats in the 2022 elections.
Federation of Women Lawyers (Fida- Kenya) has launched a campaign to promote participation of women in political leadership ahead of the 2022 General Election.
The campaign dubbed #VoteADada calls for increased women’s participation and representation in the country’s leadership.
It is also geared towards initiating dialogue and actions that will be implemented towards achieving the constitutional minimum of two-thirds in elective and appointive positions.
The campaign, which has the support of other organisations also aims at building a sensitisation aimed at building capacity of women eyeing elective seats in the 2022 elections.
It was launched last week during the 2021 Women Leadership Conference held in Nairobi.
Speaking during the launch, Fida-Kenya Chairperson Nancy Ikinu, said the implementation of the two-thirds gender rule remains a concern.
She added the push to initiate the campaign was bolstered by the realisation that women’s participation in decision-making at all levels was vital.
“Through the campaign, we will push for the election of women throughout the country in the 2022 election. Women and men have the right to equal treatment, including the rights to equal opportunities in the political, economic, cultural, and social spheres. Therefore, empowering one woman into politics translates to the empowerment of all women,” she said.
Building Bridges Initiative
Suba-North MP Millie Odhiambo said the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) was expected to address the gender rule debacle.
She noted that even though the BBI has been halted by the court, constitutional amendment is now the only hope to ensure women stop lagging behind in leadership positions.
“I think people were more focused on the political climate around BBI but did not think about the implications in relation to minorities and the marginalised groups among them women,” she said.
Narc Kenya Chairperson Martha Karua said the women’s movement was instrumental to the Constitution the country have today including its transformative provisions on equality and prohibitions on discrimination contained in Article 27 of the Bill of Rights.
Association of Media Women in Kenya (Amwik) vowed to work with partners to enhance the capacity of journalists in the campaign.
Coverage of women as news sources is still low, Amwik is willing to work with partners to enhance journalists’ capacity on gender sensitive reporting, said Judie Kaberia, Executive Director, Amwik.
Kaberia further noted the need to train female political aspirants on engaging with the media effectively.
“Female aspirants should show up for interviews as the media is keen on ensuring fair and gender-sensitive coverage of women political aspirants by upholding the democratic and ethical principles of accountability, fairness, and objectivity,” said Kaberia.
