Kenyan Women in Politics Face 'National Emergency' of Violence and Barriers

A new report by the Presidential Task Force on Gender-Based Violence has exposed deep structural barriers, entrenched grassroots intimidation and a surge in online attacks targeting women in leadership.

This has prompted fresh calls for urgent national action.

Women in Democracy and Governance (WIDAG) said the findings of the task force, chaired by former Deputy Chief Justice Nancy Baraza, confirm that gender-based violence (GBV) in Kenya has reached a national emergency and threatens the country's democratic foundations.

"Today, we stand at a critical crossroads for our nation," said Pamela Ateka, President of WIDAG and Community Focus Group (CFG), while addressing the press in Nairobi.

"Despite the progressive promises of our Constitution, the reality for Kenyan women remains a harrowing tale of structural exclusion, physical danger at the grassroots, and an alarming new frontier of digital warfare," she added.

Ateka said the data highlights stark inequalities in political representation. Although women constitute more than half of Kenya's population, they hold less than 10 per cent of directly elected parliamentary seats.

"Our electoral process remains rigged against women. While women are over 50 per cent of the population, we are less than 10 per cent of directly elected MPs. That is not accidental, it is structural," she said.

She cited prohibitive campaign costs as a primary obstacle, referring to it as 'the pink tax of politics'.

The task force report also documents widespread insecurity at the grassroots level.

It states that nearly 90 per cent of women aspirants interviewed reported feeling unsafe during party primaries.