Gender parity in Kenya is real and so wide. Failure by MPs to pass the Gender Bill shows the height of selfishness and incompetence in the lawmakers.
That notwithstanding, the MPs have again demonstrated their unwillingness to uphold the Constitution.
Indeed, the Constitution recognises women, youth, persons with disabilities and ethnic minorities as special groups deserving constitutional protection.
The gender rule quagmire is now clearer than before. The implementation of two-thirds gender principle might not see the light of the day if what we’ve seen with the MPs is anything to go by. Parliamentarians must enact this bill soonest to prove the naysayers wrong.
Again, they should know that the Constitution espouses the rights of special groups as being equal in law to other dominant groups, and entitled to enjoy equal opportunities in the political, social and economic spheres.
Article 27 of the law obligates the Government, through Parliament, to develop and pass policies and laws, including affirmative action programmes and policies, to address the past discrimination that minority groups have faced.
The Government is required to develop policies and laws to ensure that, not more than two-thirds of elective or appointive bodies shall be of the same sex.
The MPs need to know that the Millennium Declaration commits all UN member States to promote gender equality and empowerment of less acceptable gender in a society, as an effective way to combat poverty, hunger and disease, and as necessary means to stimulate development that is truly sustainable.
Persistent and pervasive gender inequalities hinder access to and control of resources while perpetuating unequal distribution of resources with greater biases.
