Women in Kenya

History of the Evolution of the Trait of Women in Kenya

The history of the evolution of the traits of women in Kenya can be divided into Women within Swahili culture, Women in British Kenya, and Kenyan Women post-Independence.^[3] The condition and status of the female population in Kenya has faced many changes over the past century.

Kenya was a British colony from 1888 until 1963. Before colonial rule, women had played important roles in the community, from raising and bringing up children to working on farms and in marketplaces. Under colonial rule, women became increasingly unimportant to the economic system, and their powers and influence soon faded from the public sphere. Despite this, some women such as Mekatilili wa Menza and other women including Muthoni wa Kirima who was part of the Mau Mau uprising fought alongside men during the campaign for independence and are acknowledged in the country's long history for their contributions.

After Kenya gained independence in 1963, women have still faced issues relating to sexism and have not been given many opportunities in sectors such as education except for a small number of young women.Women still face many problems, such as child marriages, arranged marriages, female genital mutilation, the AIDS epidemic as well as a lack of education. Although Kenya still has a long way to go in hearing the plight of women, there continues to be an improvement in financial, social and economic inclusion within the country at different stages ranging from dialogue, policy implementation, representation and so forth.^{[citation needed]}

In Kenya, women have little opportunities to obtain decision making roles in the government, despite a gender rule in the 2010 constitution, which further sets women back. Although Kenya is behind in this case, there are a few influential women who haven taken seats in the Kenyan parliament.

GENDER EQUALITY, GLOBAL POVERTY, UNESCO, USAID, ZIMBABWE

ZIMBABWE CHALLENGES CULTURAL GENDER NORMALITIES

A country of 14 million, Zimbabwe has recently faced declines in public health, education, infrastructure and standard of living. Of the population, 63% of households live in poverty. Government policies and climate issues hamper farming and impact food insecurity. In addition, the country has a high burden of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and maternal and childhood disease.

Women traditionally hold an inferior position in Zimbabwean cultures, which are often patriarchal. Women often work for no pay in the home or in subsistence agriculture; alternatively, they perform low-paid wage work. Women cannot own or claim land except through their male relatives or husbands.

Gender Norms and Food Security in Zimbabwe

USAID and UNESCO are working to transform gender normalities in Zimbabwe, and the positive effects of these efforts extend far beyond women’s rights. Empowering women and normalizing men’s participation in the domestic sphere effectively increases the household labor force and children’s access to nutritious food. In rural Zimbabwe, one-third of children are malnourished, largely because of gender norms that lead to unhealthy feeding practices for young children.

As USAID reports, there is a close connection between women’s lack of assistance in the domestic sphere and child nutritional status. USAID wrote, “In a typical day in rural Zimbabwe, a mother must collect water, search for firewood, make a fire, cook and wash dishes, repeating this cycle for every meal. She must also spend a large proportion of the day tending to the family’s crops. Mothers simply do not have the time in the day to focus on all their responsibilities, including the childcare and nutrition necessary for the healthy growth and future productivity of their children.”

USAID’s program Indoda Emadodeni (“A Man Among Men”) holds monthly dialogues in which advocates, or Male Champions, challenge social norms and discuss the benefits of expanding men’s roles with both traditional leaders and the community as a whole. Participants in the program reported great pride in their domestic skills, including cooking, feeding and dressing infants and doing their daughters’ hair. The fathers enjoyed the closer relationships that they developed with their children. 

The program has yielded excellent results in many areas. A survey found statistically significant improvement in behaviors and support like fetching water and firewood, childcare, taking their wives to medical (including prenatal) appointments and cooking. There was also a 52% increase in joint decision-making among spouses. Rather than being stigmatized, these supportive and beneficial behaviors now elicit high praise in their communities, “uyindoda emadodeni” which translates to “you are a man among men.”

UNESCO’s Impacts

The United Nations Scientific and Cultural Organization agency is also running a project entitled “Challenging constructions of masculinity that exacerbate marginalization of women and youth,” in which the organization focuses on women’s empowerment through male engagement with gender issues. By conducting trainings and dialogues, the program leads men to reframe masculinity and reconsider their behavior.

One participant, Tichaona Madziwa, described how he “started to see [his] wife as a partner, a shareholder in this household…[and] really started to respect [his] wife’s decisions and perspectives—something that was not considered the norm.”

As he began to cook and care for his daughter, his relationship with her grew stronger. Madziwa, like the other program participants, found that the change of perspective greatly benefited him and his family.  

Normalizing men’s performance of domestic work lightens women’s workload. This, in turn, both empowers women and improves child nutrition. These USAID and UNESCO programs are effectively addressing the issues of both food security and gender normalities in Zimbabwe.

Women in Philippines

Women's rights in Philippines

The position of the Philippines on women's rights is relatively developed compared to many other nations. Over the past century, noticeable developments have been made which have led to greater endorsement and protection of these rights. The progression towards gender equality came about through women's movements, increased numbers of women political representatives, increased numbers of educated women, greater specificity on women's issues instituted under legislation, and the focused application of those laws. In recent years, the Filipino government has addressed the rights of women under a multitude of legislative schemes including workplace discrimination, domestic violence, sexual harassment and human trafficking.

The Philippines has one of the smallest rates of gender disparity in the world. In the Global Gender Gap Index 2017, the Philippines ranked 10th out of 145 countries for gender equality. The Philippines ranks higher than any other Asia-Pacific country but New Zealand. These roles range between the traditional position of mother, looking after children and household, to positions in the political arena.

The women's suffrage movement in the Philippines was one of the first, major occasions on which women grouped together politically. It was also one of the first women's rights movements, and endeavored to attain the right for women to vote and run for office. Many Filipino men were opposed to the idea, and held fast to the traditional view that a woman's place was cooking, cleaning and child rearing in the home. The males of this perspective were primarily concerned that the familial dynamic would destabilize if women were to formally step outside their customary role.

However, not all Filipino men were opposed to the movement. Congressman Filemon Sotto of Cebu filed the first women's suffrage bill at the 1907 Philippine Assembly.^[5] From there on, various suffrage bills were sponsored by a number of prominent men in society including; Assemblyman Melecio Severino of Negros Occidental in 1912, Mariano Cuenco of Cebu in 1916, and various assemblymen from Bulacan, Laguna and Tomas Luna in 1918. None of these bills succeeded. It was not until 1936 that the climate for women's suffrage shifted propitiously for women.

President Manuel L. Quezon declared his favour towards the suffragette movement in a speech delivered at Malacanang Palace in Manila on September 30, 1936.^[7] President Quezon, having signed the Woman's Suffrage Plebiscite Bill, held that, “…it is essential and even imperative that the right to vote be granted to Filipino women if they are not to be treated as mere slaves” and that, for women, it was “…their opportunity to wield a very important weapon to defend their right to secure for themselves and those to follow them their well-being and happiness. Under the 1934 Constitution of the Philippines, Article V held that women were to gain suffrage provided 300,000 women would affirm the same desire at the ballot.

On September 17, 1937, women's suffrage was legalized in the Philippines, after the required threshold for the plebiscite of 300,000 was surpassed. 447,725 women affirmed their aspiration to vote, against 33,307 no votes. The Philippines was one of the first Asian countries to allow this right for women.

Dora Nkem Akunyili OFR (14 July, 1954 – 2014) was the director-general of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) of Nigeria from 2001 to 2008.

Federal Minister of Information & Communication (Nigeria)

Early life and education

Dora Edemobi was born in Makurdi, Benue State to Chief and Mrs. Paul Young Edemobi who hailed from Nanka, Anambra State. She received her First School Leaving Certificate in 1966 from St. Patrick’s Primary School, Isuofia, Anambra State, in 1966 and had her West African School Certificate Examination (W.A.S.C) at Queen of the Rosary Secondary School Nsukka, Enugu state in 1973, where she graduated with Grade I Distinction consequently, she won the Eastern Nigerian Government Post Primary Scholarship and the Federal Government of Nigeria Undergraduate Scholarship. She went on to study Pharmacology at the University of Nigeria (UNN), graduating in 1978 and received her Ph.D. in ethnopharmacology in 1985.

Career

She served on several state government boards and then was named supervisory councilor for agriculture in a local government unit in Anambra state. She worked as a Hospital Pharmacist in the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital. (U.N.T.H) , Enugu state.

In 1981, she became a Graduate Assistant in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UNN. In 1990, she became a Senior Lecturer and in 1996, she was made a Consultant Pharmacologist at the College of Medicine.

In 1996, Akunyili became Zonal Secretary of the Petroleum Special Trust Fund (P.T.F), coordinating projects funded by profits from oil in Nigeria's southeastern states. In 2001, President Olusegun Obasanjo appointed her the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

NAFDAC

She was appointed NAFDAC DG in 2001 and served till 2009.

Akunyili had a special motivation for attacking the country's counterfeit drug problem and this is because, in 1988, she had watched her sister aged 21, die after being given injections of fake insulin as part of regular diabetes treatment. She put together a team of mostly female pharmacists and inspectors and started a war against counterfeit drugs that saw many open-air medicine markets across the country closed down. Including one in Kano state after her officers confiscated £140,000 worth of fake drugs. The agency under her leadership, broadcast jingles on radio and television to make the public aware of the dangers of substandard drugs and to encourage people to report suspicious drugs while also publishing lists of counterfeit products regularly in the newspapers.

In July 2003, The International Children's Heart Foundation visited Nigeria to operate on sick children at a teaching hospital in Enugu. After four children died in what appeared to be a case of counterfeit medical supplies, and despite being confronted with what seemed to be a hospital cover-up, Akunyili confiscated supplies and found fake adrenalin, fake muscle relaxant and infected intravenous drips.

As of June 2006, she is reported to have secured convictions for 45 counterfeiters with 56 cases pending. Her efforts led to increased public awareness about counterfeit drugs and more direct and purposeful surveillance at Nigerian customs.

Assassination attempt

On 26 December 2003, while Akunyili was on the way to Anambra State in Eastern Nigeria, gunmen fired on her convoy. The bullets narrowly missed her, with one of the bullets going through her headscarf and through the windscreen of the car. Prior to the incident, she had faced constant death threats against herself, her family, and her staff. In 2014, at least 6 people were charged with conspiracy and attempted murder, but acquitted and discharged in 2014.

Politics

In 2008, Akunyili was appointed Minister of Information and Communications.

She resigned her appointment as Minister of Information and Communications on December 16, 2010, after two years of service to run for office as Senator representing Anambra Central in the National Assembly.

She ran for election as Senator for Anambra Central for the APGA in April 2011 but was defeated by Chris Ngige of the ACN. She immediately sent a petition to the Independent National Electoral Commission disputing the result.

She was a pharmacist and governmental administrator who gained international recognition and won several awards for her work in pharmacology, public health and human rights.

Personal life and death

She married JC Akunyili with whom she had six children and three grandchildren. In 2017, one of her children, Njideka Akunyili Crosby was awarded the prestigious Genius Grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. She died at a Specialist Cancer Hospital in India on 7 June 2014 after a two-year battle with uterine cancer.

Her funeral took place on 27 and 28 August, and was attended by many dignitaries from within Nigeria and beyond, including former President Goodluck Jonathan, and a former Nigerian military ruler General Yakubu Gowon.

Akunyili was laid to rest at Agulu in Anambra state.

In 2012, her book: The War Against Counterfeit Medicine: My Story was published.

Awards

Statue of Dora Akunyili

Akunyili received over 900 awards throughout her career, the highest number of awards ever received by any Nigerian. With over 900 awards, Historyville reports that over 100 awards were later discovered in her boxes.

Malaysia’s first Women’s Tribunal in November

Malaysia

The main objective of the Tribunal is to provide an alternative form of justice and advocacy for women's human rights and gender equality. Illustration: Shika

The Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) and Engender Consultancy today announced Malaysia’s first Women’s Tribunal, which will take place online in November.

The Tribunal will be a first in Malaysia and aims to provide an alternative form of justice and advocacy for women’s human rights and gender equality in Malaysia.

Women who are or have been affected by gender discrimination will be able to give their testimonies at the Tribunal which aims to present the lived realities of women in Malaysia through its proceedings. There will also be presentations of advocates followed by the verdict of a panel of "judges".

“The main objectives of the Tribunal are to provide an alternative form of justice and advocacy for women's human rights and gender equality; empower and create a space to amplify the voices of diverse women as agents of change; show gaps in law, policy, cultural and institutional structures and their impact; receive recommendations to effect change and hold the State accountable; and build solidarity and strengthen movements,” said Ivy Josiah, convener of the Women’s Tribunal.

“Women’s Tribunals have been used in many other parts of the world since 1976 but this is a first for Malaysia,” said Josiah.

The Women’s Tribunal will gather testimonies from affected persons and present them to a panel of three 'judges' who are experts in the areas of human rights and gender equality. The 'judges' comprise Mary Shanthi Dairiam, founder of Women’s Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific (IWRAW Asia Pacific), an international NGO based in Malaysia, and UN committee member on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) (2005-2008); Zainah Anwar, co-founder of Sisters in Islam (SIS) in Malaysia and Musawah, the global movement for equality and justice in the Muslim family; and Nadia Malyanah, programme associate at UNDI18 and advocate for higher political participation and representation of Malaysian women with the 111 Initiative.

The judges will be supported by a team of three advisors and five lawyers.

“Witness testimonies will be presented under these themes: constitutional and legal framework, economy, health, education, political and public life, violence against women, family, gender identity and climate change,” said co-convener of the Women’s Tribunal Wathshlah G Naidu from Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO).

“This will be followed by statements from women’s human rights advocates, who will provide further context and analysis on why women continue to face the specific forms of discrimination as well as identify the gaps in laws and policies, and how the State has failed to meet its international human rights commitments,” said Wathshlah.

The Tribunal is the highlight of a three-day event, Women’s Tribunal: Reimagining Justice. It will take place on Nov 27-28, followed by the Kebahagiaan Dirimu Arts Festival on Nov 29.

Women’s Tribunals have been used in many other parts of the world since 1976 but this is a first for Malaysia, said Ivy Josiah. Photo: Syed Zainal Rashid

The judges' findings and recommendations will be presented later on Dec 4.

While the Women’s Tribunal is not a formal legal process and it has no official power to issue legally binding decisions or enforce individual criminal responsibilities, JAG believes that it will be a powerful tool for gaining support for women’s rights and gender equality, said Josiah.

Co-convener of the Women’s Tribunal Meera Samanther from the Association of Women’s Lawyers said: “It is our hope that this process will provide an alternative form of justice and advocacy for women's human rights and gender equality and most of all create a space to amplify the voices of diverse women as agents of change."

Planning for the woman’s advocacy project began in February, led by a steering committee of 14 women’s organisations: All Women’s Action Society (AWAM); Association of Women Lawyers (AWL); Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor (EMPOWER); Family Frontiers; Justice for Sisters (JFS); Knowledge and Rights with Young people through Safer Space (KRYSS Network); Persatuan Sahabat Wanita Selangor (PSWS); Perak Women For Women Society (PWW); Sabah Women’s Action-Resource Group (SAWO); Sisters in Islam (SIS); Tenaganita; Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO); Women’s Centre for Change (WCC); plus ENGENDER Consultancy.

The Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development has been invited to observe and respond to the judges’ findings and recommendations. The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) chair and the Chair of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) have also been invited to make an address during the Women’s Tribunal.

The Tribunal will be hosted virtually through Zoom and Facebook Live in English and Bahasa Melayu, together with sign language interpretation.

Members of the public are encouraged to register to gain access to Bahasa Melayu translation and sign-language interpretation. By registering, participants will also be in the running to win a gift basket worth RM1,000.

Leading the Way in Malaysia: Sumitra Visvanathan

Malaysia

How did you start working in this field?

I have always been motivated by the need to protect people in crisis. I worked with the UN’s Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in various roles. I established and managed refugee protection operations for UNHCR, my last duty station being Baghdad, Iraq. After working to protect refugees across the globe for most of my adult life, I decided to return to Malaysia. The opportunity to lead WAO was irresistible. I jumped at the chance to pursue a life-long dream to work for impact in my own country. Shifting from refugee protection expertise to gender equality was a surprisingly tough learning curve. I learnt that I had to reflect and do the inner work on myself, addressing and re-framing my own biases and self-limiting ideas. This had to happen along with developing fresh strategies, building and leading an enhanced WAO team to achieve impact for our goals. It’s been a wonderful journey so far and I feel we have indeed made impact, along with all our partners.

What is the type of work done by the WAO in Malaysia?

For over 38 years, WAO has grown to become Malaysia’s foremost provider of crisis support services. As change advocates for women, our path is determined by the end goal of guaranteeing gender equality and eliminating violence and discrimination against women and girls in Malaysia.

We have an “All of WAO” approach, meaning our work is synergized, rights-based, and aims for sustainability. We deliver standard-setting shelter and support services for women and children survivors of gender-based violence and discrimination. We strengthen the state’s response to survivors through legislative and policy reforms, and by monitoring the implementation of the legal framework. We build communities’ capacity to identify and respond to violence, and reform mindsets through tailored training, awareness programs, and media engagement.

What are the challenges for women in Malaysia that have arisen during the pandemic?

In our decades of experience, WAO has assisted so many women who have not only been survivors of gender-based violence, but survivors of discrimination. We’ve seen how survivors of domestic violence face further marginalization from society through discrimination in the workplace, and we’ve also seen how discrimination and harassment in the workplace can make women more financially dependent and more vulnerable to violence at home. The pandemic has exposed vulnerabilities of women in the home, evidenced by the sharp increase in incidences of domestic violence. Gender inequality breeds violence as it casts women as lesser than men, and less deserving of rights.

How has the pandemic impacted your work, and how have you adapted in response to it?

The need for social justice is more critical during times of social and economic hardship as experienced in 2020. Our work and reach expanded tremendously, despite physical access restrictions. For instance, our WAO Hotline and crisis service saw an exponential increase.

Following WHO’s alert of a potential global pandemic in January 2020, WAO mobilized immediately to address the anticipated increased rates of violence against women during the pandemic period. We also needed to pivot towards virtual support, operating primarily through our Hotlines, virtual meets for counseling sessions and vigorous public information and outreach through our social media.

WAO was also approached by the government to alert on the prevalence of domestic violence cases received through our Hotlines, and subsequently WAO was able to share critical information with the Ministry of Health (MOH). Recognizing the effectiveness of our response, all domestic violence related calls received on their Hotline are now being diverted to the WAO Hotline. This is a tremendous development, as this means that WAO has been given the immense task and responsibility as the national focal point of responding to domestic violence calls throughout Malaysia during this pandemic.

This year’s theme being ‘Women in Leadership’, what are some of the leadership lessons you have learnt in this position?

Personal accountability is very important to me, and it’s a fundamental part of leading. I have a set of personal ethics, including a commitment to live feminist ideals, which I work hard to preserve and maintain even in the face of the highest hurdles. It isn’t easy. Doing the right thing is sometimes harder than the opposite. Its best to lead because your people recognize this sort of honest, self-aware integrity. It builds trust. Self-respect and self-knowledge is also fundamentally needed in a leader.  I have learnt that understanding myself, recognizing my inner challenges, and validating my own aspirations is key. I never, ever settle on being only what others expect of me. It’s about being who you want yourself to be. Leadership needs this inner knowledge of self, a vision of the best version of yourself, and the personal courage to make the change that is needed. I have found that a will to lead that comes from honesty, integrity, self-awareness inspires others to join you. It’s also about creating the space for everyone to be who they need to be, and do what they need to do, to ensure all meet the common goals.

Do you have any advice for women fighting for change?

“Eyes on” is a phrase that I learnt from UN security teams. I have always valued the UN security officer in conflict zones for their utter focus and courage. Interestingly, I find this laser quality of focus is very useful in advocacy and in promoting social change. “Eyes on” the social change goal at all times. You are much less likely to waver along the path to social change if your eye is always on the end goal. Easier said than done, but nonetheless this is an approach that has kept me going.

**The views expressed in this interview do not necessarily represent the views of the World Bank Group and its employees. 

Importance Of Family

Family