NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 19- Embrace, a women lobby group in Kenya has called on the Building Bridges Initiative experts and the Task force to ensure that the gains that women have made so far will not be scrapped off.
Led by Kirinyaga Governor Ann Waiguru and Senate Deputy Majority leader Fatuma Dullo, the Women leaders said women have been disappointed for the failure by Parliament to enact the Two Thirds Gender Bill for the last 10 years and they hope the issue will be addressed in the BBI report which is set to be released on Tuesday.
“The best avenue to address the standoff that has frustrated the gender rule is the BBI. In this regard, while expressing our support for the BBI agenda, the process should not only protect but expand women’s gain in the constitution,” Waiguru said.
Dullo urged politicians and Kenyans at large to maintain peace before and after the release of the report, saying it should not be used for divisive politics but be utilized to unite the country.
Government sources say the report will be released in Kisii on Tuesday during celebrations of Mashujaa Day.
Nairobi Women Representative Esther Passaris and Suba North Member of Parliament Millie Odhimbo urged the Task Force to ensure that nothing is taken away from women and instead more positions should ne created for them.
“We do not want anyone to tamper with what we had already negotiated for woman, what we have gained for women and what we aspire to have as this generation of women for the next generation of women,” said Passaris.
It is understood that the BBI has proposed to have Kenyans vote for 94 Senators in the 2022 General Election to deal with the emotive two-thirds gender rule, meaning that the Senate will be composed of one man and one woman elected in each of the 47 counties.
Reports also indicate that the position of Women Representatives at the National Assembly will be scrapped a proposal that women leaders under Embrace are opposed to.
