Stuck in meetings all day so this is a bit late. Thanks Mshairi for being the catalyst.
This International Women’s Day, I’d like to celebrate all the women who both ran for political seats and won political seats in the last year – from local government, to parliamentary bodies, to high office. The high profile victories we read about include: Ellen Sirleaf Johnson of Liberia – the first elected female President in Africa; Michelle Bachelet former defense minister and first female President of Chile; Portia Simpson-Miller, a former minister of local government in Jamaica, won the presidency of the ruling People’s National Party and who will take over the premiership from retiring P.J. Patterson in Jamaica; Angela Merkel first female chancellor in Germany. Not only did these women break new ground in terms of being “first” they cover a wide range of backgrounds from grandmother to single mother of three – hopefully these represents a start to the end of the “non-traditional’ label that is pinned on female candidates who don’t fit into a mold that somehow doesn’t exist for men (does anyone describe Italy’s Berlusconi as non-traditional?).
Electoral politics remains one of the strongest bastions of male domination – according to the latest statistics from the IPU women represent only 16.5% of all lawmakers. Without political representation our voices will continue to be ignored and issues affecting women will continue to be marginalized. Besides we have a helluva a lot to offer don’t we? So today I honor all those women who have stepped forward to change the face of politics.
Run women. Run.
I loved the women you chose to pay homage to. One day soon we shall change the world:razz::lol:
You say “Run women. Run.”
I keep telling you to run.
What about writing pieces of legislation that you and other progressive minded folks (I am taking liberties here assuming that you’re progressive) would like to become law and giving the legislation to the few good MPs to bring to parliament for debate and enactment?
As is the case in the US – direct elobbying the would be an excellent way to get some really good laws made in Kenya by utilizing even the most intellectually challenged MPs in the Bunge. K-street style (more like US energy lobby style) except you’ll be lobbying for the good of the country instead of deep-pocketed corporate interests.
I mean, it’s gonna be a long while before we have a parliament full of the “right” folks, but we can circumvent that problem by doing the leg-work ourselves and giving the finished product to the mps to just vote on it and take credit for it. They look good, the poor little children and women get protected and other new laws come into being, and you get to buy me a beer for such a superb idea. Everybody wins!
What say you Ms. Pundit?
Happy IWD. This is belated…bt tiz for a woman and country I respect lots….
Link: http://kenyananalyst.blogspot.com/2006/03/liberia-experience.html
[…] . Am disciplined for she made sure that I be no matter how painful it was to inflict it. Kenyan Pundit has chosen to honour all the women that ran for and won political office this past year. Elle […]
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Hey, interesting topic! Thank you for your information. Surinder