Participation Of Women Parliamentarians In Kenya’s Legislative Process 1963-2017

ABSTRACT

Since independence up to the 11th Parliament (1963 to 2017) in Kenya, the increase in the number of women in Parliament has been slow. The highest ever attained number was 86 in the 11th parliament (2013-2017) save for affirmative action. Though the number of women MPs in Kenya has been low (160) since independence to the 11th Parliament, compared to male MPs (1,832), there has been an average achievement in delivering the gender agenda in the country. The gradual increase in numbers of women MPs since independence has not translated into a significant increase in delivery of the gender agenda (UN Women 2017). The objectives of this study are: establishing bills tabled by women MPs since independence to 11th Parliament that could benefit the welfare of women in Kenya, evaluating achievements by women parliamentarians since independence to 11th parliament in delivering bills which translate into laws, examining the challenges encountered by women MPs in executing their legislative roles during the study period, and determining the best strategies and support that can enhance performance of women legislatures in delivering bills and laws that benefit women in Kenya, to bridge any knowledge gap identified in the study. The study applied the Theory of Change as expounded by Avril Blamey and Mhairi Mackenzie (Vogel,2012), to explore new possibilities and environment for political change in order to deliver the gender agenda. Descriptive survey and interview schedules were used. The target population was 160 women MPs, elected or nominated, in Parliament during the study period. Due to the small target population, a sample size of 46 respondents were sampled by stratified random sampling and purposive sampling for the study. The sampling criteria was 10 percent sample in each strata (Mugenda, 2003). Women who had served for more than one term or held key positions in Parliament during the study period were purposively sampled for in-depth information including opinion leader in Parliament, leaders of women organizations and academia. Face to face interviews with the respondents were done. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics that entailed mean scores and standard deviations. Quantitative data was presented in frequency distribution tables, pie charts, and bar graphs to summarize and organize it so as to explain relationships among categories. Qualitative data was categorized into common themes, presented in narrative and verbatim forms. Women did not contribute equally in Parliament with respect to moving bills that had impact on women’s welfare in Kenya. This was mainly attributed to lack of experience in the legislative process and parliamentary procedures which could be addressed through capacity building and support networks. In conclusion, the performance of women in parliament since independence up to 11th parliament had an average mean score of below 3.0 (mean