Demystifying the Woman Rep post

Nakuru Woman Rep Chelule Chepkorir Liza at a past function. (File, Standard)

International Women's Day special

Nakuru Woman Rep Chelule Chepkorir Liza (Jubilee) is also the founder of Gender Equity Network.

She acknowledges that the number of women getting empowered in the villages using the Women Enterprise funds has increased and this has been made possible by civic education.

In her day-to-day activities, she is mostly meeting women in Nakuru County and engaging in civic education.

"Women and youth in remote villages are playing a big role in leadership and decision making," says Chelule.

Baraka Sotet Self Help Group in Njoro Sub County is one of the organizations she is dealing with. The group has brought together about 50 women who make traditional households items including guards and plates for sale.

Chelule is also helping in solving water problems that have been a major cause of family conflicts more so in parts of Rongai, Naivasha, Gilgil and Subukia. 

Vulnerable schools have been selected in every sub-county where she has distributed water tanks to help provide learners with clean drinking water.

In addition, the Woman Representative has also been able to supply at least 200 water tanks to individual homes.

Although most Kenyans raise unending debates on roles of women representatives, an issue that has affected enactment of the one third gender rule by the National Assembly, Chelule affirms that the position should remain as stipulated in the constitution because it has helped improve the social economic status of women and youth.

The female legislators, she says perform roles just like those of other MPs, though theirs is vast because they cover entire counties whereas MPs cover a constituency.

The major challenge in her work, she notes, is poor funding. For example, she says, an MP is allocated Sh110 million whereas Woman Reps receive Sh40 million only.

Back at home, she also acts as a role model by practising dairy and horticulture farming. She also encourages other women to do so.

The Standard also meet Baringo County Woman Representative Gladwell Jesire Cheruiyot distributing women empowerment funds in Kabarnet on a Saturday morning.

Cheruiyot later travelled to Tangulbay in Tiaty Sub County where she distributed sanitary towels to girls who sought refuge after fleeing their homes in remote villages due to forced Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).

 "These girls need counselling and support because they are victims of FGM. I often visit them with Anti-FGM organisations to encourage them to overcome adversity," she says.

Apart from empowering the girls to grow into productive individuals, she also trains women and people living with disabilities to lead normal lives.

Among economic programs Cheruiyot has established are modern beekeeping, poultry rearing, and table banking.

Through Sh40million-women a kitty, at least 70 youths have been sponsored to undertake several courses in polytechnics. 

The Woman Rep has also sponsored about 150 boda operators to driving schools for safety while using roads.

Most of the women in the county are also able to conduct their business in a conducive environment after being supplied with trading shades and umbrellas.

At least 1,000 umbrellas have been distributed to women who run small businesses.

"I also encourage women to practise table banking. So far there are 150 registered women groups doing value addition on various products like honey," Cheruiyot says.

In addition, Sh400, 000 has been allocated from the Woman Representative kitty to construct toilets for people living with disabilities in all six sub-counties of Mogotio, Eldama Ravine, Baringo North, Baringo South, Tiaty and Baringo Central.

After a busy weekend, Cheruiyot travels back to Nairobi for parliamentary duties. 

Her day begins at 8 am. She attends Committee on Health meeting, where she is a member, to drum support on health services in her county.

 She is pushing for free vaccination against Hepatitis B that is an epidemic in parts of Mogotio, Baringo North, Baringo South and Emining.

At the committee, she has also been part of the team that created the mechanisms for curbing maternal deaths in the country by coming up with the Linda Mama Program, an initiative that has prioritised the health of women and children.

According to the Ministry of Health, maternal mortality has declined from 488 deaths per 100,000 births top 362 per 100,000 deliveries.

Child mortality has also declined by over 20 per cent while women at reproductive age using modern contraceptives has risen to more than 50 per cent with immunisation coverage in the country has also increased to an average of 78 per cent in the recent past.

The woman representative is also lobbying for the reviving of a stalled project at the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) in Kabarnet.

The Woman Representative position to her should remain because it is a stepping stone for most women who have joined different political and leadership positions in the country.