Parliament obstructing gender laws, Kajiado East MP Peris Tobiko says

Lack of gender balance in Parliament is the main challenge facing the establishment of polices and laws aimed at promoting equality in the country, an MP has said.

Speaking during Egerton University Gender Awareness Day, Kajiado East MP Peris Tobiko said despite the 2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDG) deadline to promote gender equality and women empowerment, most Bills get resistance from men, who dominate Parliament.

Ms Tobiko said Bills tabled in Parliament were not debated credibly and were later resisted by male legislators. Examples include the domestic and marital Bills.

"It is worrying how lawmakers are doing less to promote gender equality despite the 2015 deadline. Most Bills presented in Parliament receive resistance because of the tyranny of numbers in favour of men," she said.

She added that the country still faced huge regional disparities caused by poverty, outdated cultural practices, early marriages, female genital mutilation and customs that discriminated against the girl child.

Other challenges facing women include maternal deaths and lack of access to reproductive health.

EFFECTIVE LAWS

To eliminate violation and hasten achievement of the goals, she observed that effective policies and laws should be established.

These policies should focus on closing gender gaps and building on lessons learned so that progress could be realised for women and girls.

"Policies to advance gender equality require compliance from our male colleagues. This includes the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women," she said.

The MP further recommended grassroot support to ensure that there was an equal platform for both girls and boys to advance themselves.

She called on county leaders to include women in sectors such as finance, infrastructure, education and health and post-conflict reconstruction.

"Increasing women's participation at all levels is vital to accelerate the achievement of the MDGs because women's voices and experiences are needed in good governance and the rule of law. This would help shape every aspect of policy making in counties," she added.

Challenges aside, enrollment of girls in schools has increased from 88 per cent in 2002 to 115 per cent in 2011 in primary schools, and 73 per cent from 67 per cent in secondary schools receptively.

GENDER PARITY

Egerton University Vice Chancellor James Tuitoek said the institute was facing gender disparities due to shortage of female students and lecturers in the engineering and science faculties.

Prof Tuitoek said there were only two women lecturers out of over 30 faculties despite efforts to promote gender equality.

"The university is admitting 40 per cent of female students against 60 per cent of men. This is still a big challenge in promoting gender equality, with some faculties facing disparities, more so in engineering and science courses," said Tuitoek.

He said the university was collaborating with the Kenya Universities and Placement Service to come up with policies that encourage women to join science courses.

"Women who do science and engineering courses are provided with limited scholarships compared to men. That is why we need laws to take care of this imbalance," he said.