A local women’s network in Kenya has set up a Democracy Trust Fund aimed at supporting women seeking to take up leadership positions in the country.
The Fund will act as a savings facility for women who aspire to seek elective positions as well as offer civic education support. It will additionally seek to level the playing field in a country that still lags behind in women leadership.
Political campaigns in Kenya are a long drawn process, a bruising battle that over the years edged out women, evident in the representation in positions of leadership in the country.
Many factors such as prejudice, discrimination and culture affect those who are elected to positions of power in Kenya and indeed many other parts of Africa, money is at the center of the low representation by women.
A local non-governmental organisation has come up with a trust fund in order to try and close up the gender gaps.
“When we do, we research what do they tell us – they do not have a level playing ground to compete with the men. The men have title, they are able to get money, sell cows, land… so when it comes to paying for the process, some women are unable to historically even pay for party membership,” says Echo Network Africa CEO Dr Jennifer Riria.
Each leader will save money into a trust fund and will also have access to it towards the campaign period. Members of the fund will also benefit from regular civic education and support.
Kenya currently has just less than 22% of women representation in both parliament and county governments.
Whether the fund will achieve its ambitious target it will be known when Kenyans go to polls in 2022.
WATCH VIDEO BELOW:
-SABC News
