Gender Bill flops! Sorry girls, men still rule the world.

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Men still rule the world! It is the same case in Kenya as it is in the most developed countries in the world.

In the end, the spirited efforts by the women MPs’ caucus – the Kenya Women Parliamentary Association (Kewopa) – fell short and it all reeks of sabotage and patriarchy. For the forth time in a row, parliament has failed to pass the gender bill which seeks to align the membership of the National Assembly with the Constitution, which requires that not more than two thirds of seats in the appointive and elective bodies should be of the same gender.

Drafters of the 2010 Constitution wanted to bridge the gender gap and did not want a situation where one gender is overly represented in parliament.

There’s clear reluctance, if not resistance, to implementing the gender-equity rule. The most obvious reason for this laxity is the fact that male leaders don’t want to give up their privilege. Women continue to face systemic discrimination in Kenyan society. Such deep seated patriarchy can only be effectively overcome by laws that enforce gender quotas.

While some men may want to help, they often hesitate to stick up for women and minorities when push comes to shove. They’re aware that calling out sexism when they see it may mean facing mockery, condescension, or rebuke. 

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The fact of the matter is that the feminism revolution has stalled world wide! Our foremothers made more progress with feminism than we have in the last 40 years as no substantial progress has been seen since; inspite of all the priviledge we enjoy now. Despite the gender bill being a neccessity in the country, it is also a wildly ambitious plot.

There are 20 female world leaders currently serving as Head of State or Head of Government. This represents only 6.3% of the total number of global leaders. Mauritius is the only African country with a woman as Head of State. Rwanda has the highest number of women parliamentarians worldwide with 61.3 per cent of seats in the lower house.

 Internal obstacles contribute to holding women back. The truth of the matter is, when a man is successful, he is well liked. When a woman does well, people like her less. She ends up undermining her own accomplishments for fear that others would be turned off. 

Women are also, sad to say, their own worst enemies. They keep themselves from advancing because they lack the self-confidence and drive that men do. This has hugely been contributed by societal norms and beliefs shoved down our throats, constantly being silenced and told our ideas are not important.

Women still face a myriad of barriers including in the workplace, such as historical prejudices, blatant and subtle sexism, discrimination and sexual harassment. The only way to even begin to tackle these issues is to have more women in power. A woman is better positioned to tackle the problems she faces first hand as opposed to a man who knows nothing about, for example, pregnancy needs.

Men often take opportunities away from women, because they assume they know what women want, rather than giving them the full opportunities they deserve.

Increased numbers of women in leadership roles will help the status and opportunities of all women. Women need to engage in more talks about getting ahead and what it means to seek leadership roles and stand together in their fight for equality. We might be facing the hurdle that is men afraid of all the potential women hold, but its not the end of the war. Slow and steady does it.

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