Atsango Chesoni: Standing tall on the shoulders of giants

By Susan AnyanguTrying to set up an interview with Atsango Chesoni as a piece of cake, despite her busy schedule as a member of the newly appointed Committee of Experts on the Constitution Review Process. With just one phone call, during which I promised to focus on the women’s movement and women’s involvement in the constitution review process, Atsango slotted me into her schedule. Within no time we were making plans to meet the next day at her apartment which doubles as her office. When you walk into Atsango’s home, it is clear that she pays keen attention to detail and is not one to entertain clutter. A professing Panafricanist, Atsango ranks herself with the likes of the late Julius Nyerere, Kwame Nkurumah, Chinua Achebe and Ngugi wa Thiong’o. And indeed Atsango’s home is a living testament of this. African theme at homeThe living room is sparsely furnished with tastefully chosen pieces of African artefacts. A look at the paintings that hang on the walls reveals a person who is in touch with and proud of her African roots. Her music collection on the other hand is clear proof of someone who appreciates poetry and the beauty of language. Her CD collection is largely African — musicians whose themes are not only timeless but also tell profound stories. Atsango Chesoni. Her track record and involvement in the push for a new constitution has earned her a seat in the Committee of Experts. Photo: Maxwell AgwandaAnd on the corridor stands a bookshelf, which tells another story of Atsango. She is a poet, whose inclination is toward African literature, a Panafricanist, feminist and indeed an avid reader. Possibly, every literary African writer can be found on Atsango’s shelf. And she has no apologies for her devotion to books. "When I was returning to the country after studying abroad, I shocked immigration officials at the airport because of the number of books I brought with me. I had a number of huge trunks filled with books. I love reading and all I did while studying in the USA and UK was buy books," Atsango says.While she is a lawyer by profession, Atsango is also a poet, who has written volumes of poems that she is yet to publish. "I went to university as a Biology major, but later switched to being an English major who then later went to Law school. Everyone in my family has an aptitude for the sciences and indeed my late father who was a lawyer by profession was initially expected to study medicine at the university. Despite having an aptitude for the sciences I opted to study English and Law because the sciences became too boring," she says.However, with more probing, Atsango reveals that she was propelled into Law School because of a tragedy that happened to someone close to her."I studied Law to find out why the rape of a girl meant less to my society than the theft of a cow. I have always been interested and concerned about rape. I started reading newspapers at an early age and I remember asking one of my uncles what ‘carnal knowledge’ was because that is what it used to be called. A two-year-old girl had been raped and another person had stolen a cow. The one who stole a cow got a stiffer penalty and I was puzzled about this," she recounts.Journey beginsWhile this story would have a significant impact on Atsango’s life, the rape of someone close to her would seal the deal, converting this would-be scientist into a lawyer and later a champion of women’s rights."In my first summer I received a letter from home. Someone close to me had tried to kill herself because she had been raped. I began to deal with this by writing poetry. I lost interest in Biology...it stopped being exciting…the life went out. For me it was more about doing something about what had happened to the person who was raped," she says.Atsango indulges in one of her life’s passions — reading for knowledge. And so her journey to becoming a lawyer began and this gave birth to Atsango, she that champions women’s rights. As she makes an entry into the limelight on the Committee of Experts on Constitution Review and sits as its vice chair, she is no stranger to the clamour for a new constitution. Indeed, Atsango professes that her track record and involvement in the push for a new constitution is what has earned her a seat in the committee."For a long time now, women have been organising themselves around matters on the Constitution. I have been involved in it for over a decade of my life. Way back in 1997 I was involved in the drafting of demands women made during the National Constitution Conference," she says.Atsango believes present practices in Kenya prevent women from enjoying full rights of ownership of land and other property. Quoting Pricilla Abwao, the first nominated woman member of parliament in Kenya, Atsango says: "I consider this position inconsistent with the realities of life in the 20th Century and that anything less than the right to own property is reactionary and unbefitting. This is where our struggle resonates and it is at the heart of what we have been struggling for, for a long time". It is on this note that Atsango says she has premised her push for a new constitution.She continues to state that the current constitution discriminates against women and thus they must push for a review if their lives are to become better. She, however, warns that one does not have to be a lawyer to be involved in the process."Women who have been involved in this cause have come from a place of passion. Wanjiku Kabira and Pheobe Asiyo are good examples. We need to understand there is a long history and we are standing on the shoulders of women who have worked long and hard to give us a new future. Especially, Abwao who was the only African woman at the Lancaster conference," she says.Women’s effortsAtsango cautions women not to leave all the work to the members of the committee of experts but rather to rally from the outside and push for involvement and fair representation in the constitution review process. Atsango being sworn in as a member of the Committee of experts on the Constitution Review Process. Photos: Family Album/Courtesy"You must always have the people who beat the drum from the inside and those who beat it from the outside. It is not sufficient to have Prof Christina Murray, Njoki Ndung’u and I in there. We require somebody to beat the drum from the outside. There are three organs of the committee and that includes parliamentary select committee, legislative and referendum. All those offer opportunities for women to be involved in the process," she says.Atsango urges women to stay vigilant and use every opportunity, but she says the prerogative to ensure women’s rights are improved also lies with the men. She argues it is not in the interest of this country to have half of its workforce being oppressed. She says there are men who can be allies and even if they do not want to be, they have the moral responsibility because women vote for them and pay taxes.As Kenyans focus on the reforms agenda and particularly review of the Constitution, Atsango states that the demands remain consistent — that what women want is to be included in decision-making and given at least a third of the positions.Affirmative action Says she: "The figure of one third is not abstract, it is based on research and experiences of other countries where it has been used. The basic minimum needed to begin to make a difference is one third. The concept of affirmative action is based on research and past experiences. Affirmative action is not rooted in women’s rights issues but black movement. South Africa is a good example which has used affirmative action with regards to the blacks". Atsango says the provision of a third of the positions reserved for women should be entrenched in law and accompanied by clear mechanisms of enforcing the same. She argues that Kenya has a legacy of violating this, thus the need to be succinct. She also states that there is need to focus on the issue of citizenship, since it is one of the ways women are discriminated upon within the current constitution. Together for change"We need a mechanism that is clear and that is not at the discretion of anyone. Women need to look out for this. How will that one third be achieved? This is not a one-woman battle. It requires women to stand together, acknowledge and offer each other sisterhood, acknowledge other women who have previously been involved in process and seek their advice based on their experiences. The biggest lesson is, to learn how to listen to each other and work together regardless of party affiliation, ethnic background and whether or not we like each other. If we stand together I think we can win. If want a new future for our women, mothers, daughters we need to stand together as a country and say this is not acceptable," she says.Atsango maintains that unless Kenya has a new constitution peace will continue to be elusive. And she cautions that the current constitution is unfair to women and thus, if they must have a new dawn, a review is urgent.Until she was called to serve her nation on the committee of experts, Atsango was working as a private consultant. She has done work for the United Nations in Southern Sudan monitoring the impact of conflict on women and children. She describes herself as a human rights monitor, who documents human rights violations. She also works as a policy and legal reform analyst. She advises on policy and law reforms, human rights and women’s human rights. She also does work in evaluating development initiatives. Her clientele is highly varied and impressive and includes the World Bank, multi-lateral agencies, African Union and Action Aid International.Atsango is inspired by many people including, Abwao, Asiyo and Graca Machel. She says of them: "They are graceful, amazingly strong, powerful and yet humble".

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