Fida plans to educate women on legislation

By KEVINE OMOLLO

Federation of Women Lawyers (Fida) will provide a lawyer to each of the 47 counties to advise women assembly members on legislation.

Fida representative June Ashioya said the move is meant to avoid instances where women ward representatives are lured into passing laws they do not understand.

Ashioya who was speaking to women members of the Kisumu County Assembly said gender representation in the 47 assemblies was poor, hence women leaders needed to exercise caution.

Through the Transformative Justice Department, the federation has decided to devolve its legislative watchdog role to county assemblies that have become a vital institution in legislative issues.

She said the department has been working with the Constitution Implementation Commission to check on the process of implementing the Constitution through engaging the National Assembly.

“The legislative role has been devolved to the county assemblies and Fida must ensure such legislations do not disfavour women,” she said. Ashioya said the project will involve regular forums with the assembly members, helping them draft bills and checking the bills drafted by other members and making recommendations. “Legislative role of the county assemblies require legal expertise, a skill which is lacking in many members. We do not want women ward representatives to overlook any bill in the houses, however irrelevant it may look to you,” she said.

In the pilot project, 10 counties — Kisumu, Kisii, Nakuru, Kericho, Wajir, Isiolo, Nairobi, Nyandarua, Mombasa and Kwale — have been identified with contact Fida members assigned to them.

INFORMED POINT OF VIEW

“You need to debate from an informed point of view. But if you have no legal perspective then your male counterparts will use their aggression to shut you down any time the bills are discussed,” Ashioya warned.

Kisumu, for example, has 19 women assembly members out of the total 49.

Ashioya advised women members to take advantage of their persuasive ability to influence their male counterparts to scrutinise legislations before passing them.

The Fida official, who was accompanied by Association of Media Women in Kenya (Amwik) Chairperson Lilian Juma, further advised the members to take advantage of free media to speak out issues affecting the female gender.

“You must get time for the media and tell the public what you are doing in your capacities as their representatives. Don’t shy away from the media,” said Juma.