Ms President community dialogue calls for woman empowerment in Kajiado

Ms President Season 2 community dialogue participant. Jackie wa Pads with Mr Geoffrey Moloimet. [Courtesy]

The Maasai men are being have been urged to allow women to take up empowerment opportunities.

During Ms President season 2 Community dialogue Kajiado edition, the clarion call came from Bishop Emmanuel Nteiyaa who said if more women are allowed in decision making, societies thrive.

The bishop said after all, it is the same men who take the bragging rights when women prosper.

"As men, you have nothing to lose by allowing women and girls to be empowered, at the end of the day, when the woman succeeds since she carries your name, as a man you gain the bragging rights,"' he said.

The community dialogues are an outcome of the Ms President season 2 show which are geared towards creating awareness on the pertinent issues affecting the communities at grassroots level especially those that hinder women from excelling and working on resolving them.

Last week, the Wajir edition focused on gender equality, women's leadership and community empowerment.

The discussions centered around how the women from the county can be empowered by giving them space and platforms to participate in county and national leadership.

The forum further provided a platform for the community members to identify in-depth issues and stereotypes that bar women in the region from actively taking up leadership positions.

And in Kajiado, participants agreed that women have a great potential when they work together.

Shadrack Ntikoisa, a moran, said it is about time for the Maa community to embrace the changing times and allow women not only to work but also receive the necessary support by educating the community on the importance of having women at the helm.

He said women should be encouraged and given an opportunity to lead in male dominated fields to see the massive transformations they can influence.

"I am here today because of a woman who was empowered and took up responsibility of my community. If we had more women like her, we would definitely thrive," Ntikoisa said.

Nancy Sandai in her comments however faulted women for sparking fights amongst themselves which has held them back from moving forward.

Ms President Season 2 community dialogue participants pose for a photo at Kisamis in Kajiado West. [Courtesy]

"When we begin to believe in ourselves and each other, then we can rise above the odds. At times we spend so much time fighting each other and end up being like a house divided, which cannot stand," she said.

The women were rallied upon to venture into comedy as a form of economic empowerment.

Comedian Gilbert Wanyonyi a.k.a Mtumishi said the Maasai community should utilize the opportunities in the entertainment sector to make a living.

"Together with my boss, Churchill, we did a number of shows in Narok and Kajiado but sadly we did not receive entries from local comedians of either gender," he lamented.

"Hii kitu mnaita ujinga inalipa, I wish kungetokea hata comedian mmoja kutoka kwa jamii ya kimaasai haswa wa kike ili pia aelimishe jamii kuhusu mambo mazuri ya tamaduni za kimaasai. Mimi huwa nafanya utani wa kiluhya, tunahitaji kuona jamii hii ikijitokeza," he added.

The dialogue also looked at gaps that the community could explore which among others included comedy, music, the use of social media platforms like Youtube as other income generating sources.

The dialogues further stressed on economic empowerment among the women of the community and how they can be helped to get more opportunities.