Let's mentor next crop of women leaders for complex issues ahead

Fair and equitable representation of diversity and inclusivity, gender equality and equity are constitutional imperatives and must be implemented to ensure compliance.

Gender equality and parity can only be achieved through deliberate efforts such as investing in women and girls and creating institutional and legal frameworks with mandatory guarantees for diversity and inclusivity. Kenya has made significant progress towards including women in political spaces and the current Bill awaiting parliamentary action to operationalise the rule that no more than two-thirds of either gender should constitute elective/appointive and public offices will accelerate its implementation.

The Chief Justice and President of the Supreme Court Justice Martha Koome recently hosted a luncheon to celebrate the Kenyan women's movement’s remarkable journeys towards leadership and equitable representation in social, economic and political spheres. She appreciated distinguished women leaders for championing social transformation witnessed over the last three decades leading to significant changes in the status of women in Kenya.

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She celebrated the legacy of distinguished, powerful changemakers who paved the way by fighting for gender equality, recognition, expansion of political space and inclusion of women in all spheres of life and for championing the eradication of harmful practices like female genital mutilation, child marriages, unequal distribution of matrimonial property, women’s right to inheritance, education, quality healthcare and other socio-economic and cultural rights that have made lives of women better and more dignified.

While noting that the journey to gender equality, equity and the empowerment of women and girls is far from its destination, she outlined some significant achievements the women’s movement must celebrate.

These include the passage of various landmark gender-related policies and laws, such as the Sexual Offences Act (2006), the Marriage Act (2014), the Matrimonial Property Act (2013), and the Protection Against Domestic Violence Act (2015), the establishment of institutions like the National Gender and Equality Commission and the State Departments in charge of Women’s Affairs, Children and Social Services.

Justice Koome said the greatest hard-won achievements by the women’s movement were the gender-friendly provisions of the 2010 Constitution, noting that they have significantly empowered women and are worth celebrating because we live in a society where such contributions are often forgotten or only acknowledged when one dies and not present to be celebrated.

Noting the unique challenges the emerging generation of women leaders face, she called on the changemakers who paved the way, to not just pass the baton of women’s leadership but to ensure active, and deliberate mentorship.

She said the recent awakening of Gen Z and Millennials highlights a critical intergenerational moment where mentorship is essential to bolster courage and steer present generations toward active governance and nation-building.

She proposed establishment of robust platforms where experienced women leaders can pass on their wisdom, experiences, and strategies to younger women. She said it is critically important to appreciate that even after breaking the glass ceiling, women leaders still need tremendous support because leadership can be a lonely place for women. Furthermore, it is important that we have a community where we can encourage and stay connected as women leaders.

She also said, it is imperative to underscore the critical aspect of our journey toward gender equality in Kenya – the continuous advocacy for the implementation of the two-thirds gender representation principle. She urged women leaders to consider publication of their stories, experiences, and insights, sharing their journeys, to help create a lasting legacy that celebrates the progress women have made and the challenges they have overcome.

She proposed documenting and preserving the remarkable impact of women leaders in Kenya in a book to immortalise their contributions. Justice Koome concluded that it is our responsibility to ensure the next generation of women leaders is prepared to take the helm and equipped to navigate the complexities of leadership in the 21st century.