The government has exuded confidence in the full implementation of the two-third gender rule after a team selected to find ways of realizing the rule completed its work and presented its report to parliament this week.
The Ministry of Gender, Aisha Jumwa, has in the meantime echoed calls from civil societies for an all-hands approach in achieving gender mainstreaming and women’s economic empowerment in the country.
Speaking on behalf of Jumwa during the opening ceremony of a two-day Women’s Economic Forum Kenya conference held in Nairobi, Director in charge of gender balance Jackline Makokha reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensure the two-third gender rule is actualized by the Constitution.
Makokha said in a bid to empower women economically, the Ministry of Gender has ratified the national care policy as well as utilised the recognition of prior learning to help women monetize their skills to earn a living.
Article 27(8) of the Constitution that establishes the principle requires that “not more than two-thirds of the members of elective or appointive bodies shall be of the same gender”.
Currently, Kenya ranks lowest in gender representation in East Africa, with women constituting only 9.8 per cent and 20.7 per cent of the 10th and 11th Parliaments, respectively.
