The Kenyan woman story needs to be told from the start

Former Karachuonyo MP and UN envoy Phoebe Asiyo. [James Omoro, Standard]

The dangers of a single story in the realm of women leadership are real and with devastating impacts. Despite the tremendous contribution of women in both the public and private sector since independence, little has been done to document and archive our footprint in political and socio-economic spheres.

Little is told about the women of the 1990s who trailed their guns on the attainment of affirmative action through a unifying movement dubbed; the second liberation struggle. Without these women-led by Hon. Phoebe Asiyo who tabled the first affirmative action Bill in 1997, the place of women in the August 2010 Constitution would be just, but a mere footnote.

Their forward-thinking and relentless vision culminated in more women in Parliament and boards, criminalisation of all forms of gender-based violence, prioritisation of gender-responsive budgets and inclusion of women in decision-making processes.

Little is known about women in the media who conspired under the umbrella of the association of media women in Kenya and their agitation for more visibility of female media practitioners and women leaders. For decades, women struggled to both be seen and heard in newsrooms either as journalists or news sources. While we are not yet there, it is indeed refreshing to count the growing numbers of women in the media including female analysts who fire up our TV screens every morning.

Recently, in one of her rare public appearances Field Marshall Muthoni Kirima asked, “who will tell the Mau Mau story when I die” The participant’s pin-drop silence was a rude awakening on how far this country has gone with little or no regard to documenting the stories of women movers and shakers.

The situation is more dire in political circles. Despite their exemplary performance, their stories of impact are not being amplified as they should be. In a video circulating online, an elderly man is seen pointing excitedly at the Kerugoya Medical complex constructed under the leadership of governor Anne Waiguru. He tells the journalist “you know for years I have only heard of male leaders doing big things, but now, looking at this big hospital, women can work just as good as men”.

If we are to move from dependency on affirmative action, should we then not document success stories of women leaders to ‘normalise’ their leadership and bridge the existing intergenerational gap? From voting trends, it is easier for voters to elect more women if they have information on the performance and successes

Waruguru Kiai is a youth and gender worker.