A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF KENYA AND RWANDA

MO RICHARDS MSIPM

INTRODUCTION

WHAT HAS DEFINED CURRENT ROLES

IMPACT OF SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT

WHAT IMPACT DOES DEMOCRATIZATION HAVE?ILLIBERAL DEMOCRACY AUTOCRACY

WHY RESEARCH THIS? OBJECTIVE AND PURPOSE

UNDERSTAND HISTORICAL ROLE OF WOMENESTABLISH POSSIBLE CAUSAL RELATIONSHIPS○ DOES CONFLICT CAUSE CULTURAL SHIFTS○ DO PRE-COLONIAL ROLES IMPACT CURRENT ONES

SIGNIFICANCEIMPACT OF/TO INSTITUTIONS ○ ARE INSTITUTIONS HINDERING OR FACILITATING?○ DO WOMEN ADVOCATE FOR MORE INCLUSIVITY?

CHANGES MADE POST-CONFLICTINTERROGATE SUSTAINABILITY OF CHANGES

RESEARCH QUESTION

Based on research, historical references,

existing structures, institutions and the various levels of democratization experienced by Kenya and Rwanda,

what is the role of women in these transitioning democracies?

A comparison between Kenya and Rwanda Similarities yet significantly different outcomes

SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT

KENYABICAMERAL HOUSE○ 290 MPS

47 SEATS RESERVED FOR WOMEN

○ 67 SENATORS16 SEATS RESERVED FOR

WOMEN

RWANDABICAMERAL HOUSE○ 80 MEMBERS IN CHAMBER OF

DEPUTIES24 SEATS RESERVED FOR

WOMEN

○ 26 SENATORS12 PRESIDENTIAL, 4 POLITICAL

PARTY, 2 LEARNING INSTITUTION

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

INTERNATIONAL TREATIESCEDAWUNDHRUNSCR 1325

SIGNALING MECHANISMSGENDER MAINSTREAMINGTRADE AGREEMENTS

HISTORICAL REFERENCES

PRE-COLONIAL COLONIAL POST COLONIAL

IMMEDIATELY AFTER INDEPENDENCEPRE-CONFLICTPOST CONFLICT

PRE-COLONIAL HISTORICAL REFERENCES I

COMMONALITIESPATRIARCHALCENTRALITY OF HOMEWOMEN’S AND MEN’S ROLE IN HOMEPUBLIC INFLUENCES

PRE-COLONIAL HISTORICAL REFERENCES II

DIVERGENCESQUEEN MOTHER IN RWANDAFEMALE CHIEFSCOUNCIL OF MALE ELDERS (BANTU)CHIEF OR KING IN KENYA

COLONIAL ERA HISTORICAL REFERENCES

IMPACT OF NEW ECONOMY WOMEN AS FREEDOM FIGHTERS SUPPLY LINES PROTEST LEADERS REACTIONS OF COLONIAL ADMINISTRATIONS

POST COLONIAL HISTORICAL REFERENCE

UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGEKENYA 1963, RWANDA 1961

LOW REPRESENTATION IN NEW GOVERNMENTSENTRENCHMENT OF PATRIACHAL SOCIETIESRETENTION OF COLONIAL POLITICAL ADMINISTRATION○ LACK OF RECOGNITION OF WOMEN’S ROLES IN FREEDOM

STRUGGLECONTINUATION OF NEW ECONOMY

PRE-CONFLICT

RWANDAFEMALE PRIME MINISTER IN 1994LIMITED PUBLIC PARTICIPATIONSOME INFLUENCE THROUGH WOMEN’S GROUPS

KENYANO REPRESENTATION UNTIL 1990sSIGNIFICANT PRESSURE DUE FROM WOMEN’S GROUPSACTIVISTS ○ FREEDOM CORNER

ROLES WOMEN PLAY

PEACEBUILDING AND PEACEMAKING CHANGE AGENTS CIVIC EDUCATORS POLICY MAKERS

PEACEBUILDING AND PEACEMAKING

RWANDA POST GENOCIDENEGOTIATED ACROSS ETHNIC DIVIDEFOSTERING ORPHANSLOBBIED FOR PROPERTY RIGHTS○ ENABLED ECONOMIC PARTICIPATION○ INCREASED NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS LED BY WOMEN

KENYA POST P.E.V 2008WOMEN’S SITUATION ROOMEARLY WARNING MECHANISMINITIATED INTERVENTIONS

PEACEBUILDING AND PEACEMAKING cont…

GRASSROOTS NEGOTIATION AS CONFLICT MITIGATIONPART OF LOCAL PEACE COMMITTEESNEGOTIATED WITH POLITICAL ELITES ○ AS NON-PARTISAN ORGANIZATIONS WITH EXISTING

RELATIONSHIPS○ ACTED AS GO-BETWEENS○ GROUP OF EMINENT WOMEN FROM LIBERIA, TANZANIA,

NIGERIA, UGANDA

CHANGE AGENTS

WOMEN’S GROUPS ABILITY TO EXERT SUSTAINED PRESSUREOFFER COMMUNITY CONTINUITY (RWANDA)

POLITICAL MOVEMENTSGREENBELT MOVEMENT (GBM)○ ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCACY ORG○ IMPACT OF “TIMES TOWER” DEBACLE IN NAIROBI

IMPACT OF “FREEDOM CORNER”

CIVIC EDUCATORS

ENHANCE COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDING OF RIGHTSGBM COMMUNITY EDUCATION SESSIONSREF: FREEDOM CORNER

FACILITATE COMMUNAL CONVERSATIONSCREATION OF GENDER SENSITIVE LEGISLATIONINCREASE AWARENESS OF WOMEN’S CONTRIBUTION ○ RESULTS IN DECREASE OF GENDER BASED VIOLENCE

POLICY MAKERS

AS LEGISLATORSADVOCATE FOR LAWS SAFEGUARDING PROPERTY RIGHTS,

ADDRESS VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLSADVOCATE FOR BETTER EDUCATION FOR GIRLSWORK TO ENSURE SUSTAINABILITY OF CHANGE THROUGH

POLICY

THROUGH WOMEN’S GROUPS AND POLITICAL PARTIESADVOCATE FOR CONSTITUTIONAL GENDER QUOTASPROVIDE INPUTS DURING POLICY FORMULATION

BARRIERS TO ENTRY CONSTITUTIONAL

LACK OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS ECONOMIC

LACK OF FUNDING BY POLITICAL PARTIESHISTORICAL ACCESS TO ECONOMIC STRUCTURESINABILITY TO FUNDRAISE

SOCIALCUSTOMARY ROLES PLAYED PREVIOUSLYWOMEN SHOULD BE SEEN NOT HEARDSEXUAL HARRASSMENT

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

SIMILARITIESFORMER COLONIESRETAINED COLONIAL STRUCTURES AND SYSTEMSDIVERSE ETHNIC GROUPS CONSTITUTIONAL GENDER QUOTASWOMEN’S GROUPS PLAY A SIGNIFICANT ROLEBICAMERAL NATIONAL ASSEMBLIES

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS II

RWANDA INCONSISTENT ELECTIONS PROLONGED CONFLICT AUTOCRACY COMPLETE IMPLEMENTATION OF

QUOTA 64% TOTAL IN BOTH HOUSES

KENYA ELECTIONS EVERY 5 YEARS PEACEFUL ILLIBERAL DEMOCARY DELAYED IMPLEMENTATION OF

QUOTA 13% TOTAL IN BOTH HOUSES

RESOLVING THE GENDER GAP

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONSREQUIRE POLITICAL PARTY LISTS TO IMPLEMENT

GENDER QUOTAS

INCREASE PUBLIC AWARENESSLAWS TO PROTECT WOMENMEDIA PORTRAYAL OF WOMEN IN POLITICS

ESTABLISH FUNDING FOR WOMEN ONLYRWANDA’S SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION

LESSONS FROM INTERNSHIP

INDEPENDENT ELECTORAL AND BOUDARIES COMMISSION> 30% WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP POSITIONS

40% WOMEN COMMISSIONERS62% WOMEN DIRECTORS

SUSTAINED INTERNAL LOBBYING INCREASED CIVIC EDUCATION TO FACILITATE GENDER

QUOTA IMPLEMENTATION

http://www.iebc.or.ke/index.php/news-archive/302-november-2014/610-bid-to-realize-two-third-gender-principle-in-parliament

RESEARCH QUESTION

Based on research, historical references as well as existing structures and institutions and the various

levels of democratization experienced by Kenya and Rwanda,

what is the role of women in these transitioning democracies?

A comparison between Kenya and Rwanda Similarities yet significantly different outcomes

CONCLUSION

WOMEN PLAY VARIOUS ROLES AND THEIR ABILITY TO DO THIS IS IMPACTED BY

1. INSTITUTIONS

2. SOCIETY

3. CONFLICTS1. SOCIETAL PARADIGM SHIFTS

2. CREATE SPACE FOR ADDITIONAL DIALOGUE

3. PROLONGED PEACE ENTRENCHES STATUS QUO