Young women must beat political barriers in society

Young women seeking political seats experience barriers especially in their first attempt.

Women who are aggressive, outspoken and “stand out” are marginalised. One thing I have learnt is that there is little tolerance for error if you are a woman and zero tolerance if you are a youthful woman.

What I resent, however, is that beneath some of the criticism, I detect a feeling that politics is not really the place for a young woman anyway. Perhaps some men entertain this prejudice, but I find that it is women who often express it openly.

Of course, I do not pretend to speak for all young women in politics. No one can speak for all. We are each unique, which is why it is wrong to be lumped together by stereotypes or viewed with narrowed expectations based on chromosomes. The irony is that dealing with this prejudice becomes our shared experience.

The educational achievement between young women and elderly men is pronounced particularly with women earning more degrees than men, yet this educational achievement is does not translate into greater leadership roles.

Article 55 of our Constitution is explicit that the State shall take measures, including affirmative action programmes, to ensure that the youth — (b) have opportunities to associate, be represented and participate in political, social, economic and other spheres of life.

However, in our society, leadership is seen as an old boys and girls club where young women are advised to wait.

We may be young but our life experience speaks for us.

For instance, according to the International Labour Organisation, in 2014 more than 73 million people aged between 15 and 24 were searching for work — 14 per cent of the age group, globally, from a low of 12.4 per cent in 2007. The 73 million do not include groups such as discouraged workers, who have given up the job hunt. Many employers complain that they cannot get qualified people to fill vacancies.

However, too many employers regard themselves as consumers of education and training and have forgotten, that they have a responsibility in educating workers.­

Labour market rigidities were identified during a research project from the Poverty Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology that objectively identified the perception that deters firms from hiring new employees, especially those with “riskier” profiles — which includes younger or less experienced workers.­ The rigidity comes from the disparity between workers on permanent contracts with full benefits — often older workers — and those under temporary contracts with few, if any, protections.­

With such volatility, it begs the question can the wages enable a youth to afford the basics — food, shelter and clothing? Lack of financial freedom has resulted in boomerang generation: children who leave home for purposes of education but return home after graduation thereby postponing adulthood indefinitely.

These challenges put the youthful woman at a vantage point, for instance when it comes to executing the role of MP which entails resolving issues of concern so as to help stave off rampant social ills that are ever lurking in the shadows of joblessness.

As we run for the seats, I am aware that we won’t necessarily be treated equally and it begins to feel like a child at a grown-ups’ table yet we have strengths such as ground game and grassroots mobilisation skills.

We bring style, sense of urgency; wit and a touch of class which is a true representation of Kenya’s youth today and soon society will soon acknowledge us and offer us even more responsibility.