Martha Karua is one of my favorite MP's,she is intelligent,witty,courageous and she is a woman to boot.I wish some of her qualities would rub off me because listening to her state her case in Parliament or in front of the cameras and you know here is a woman who knows what she wants and is out to get it.Whether you agree with her or not she has an attitude that many of us Kenyan women especially those aspiring to any office or career should embrace.
It is often said women are not ones to blow their own horns and more often than not a woman may be by passed for a promotion in favor of a male colleague just because she may be afraid to show how smart she is.In Kenya today we are still saddled with the mentality that a woman's fast rise to the top is because she gave a few favors along the way.It never crosses the minds of these haters that the so called woman has the necessary skills to get the job done .
This needs to change and the generation of women having young daughters today need to show them that we can succeed in spite of our gender.When looking at Kenyan women in high flying careers or businesses what stands out is the way they were brought up.Most of them attest to the fact that their fathers/mothers brought them up with the mentality that they can succeed if they just worked hard.Having a parent(s)who instill a hard work ethic in their girls is a beginning to a great future in whatever career for a woman.
Women in the work force today are more than the number that were their in my mothers generation ad this is due to the fact that more and more of them are seeking financial independence and arent waiting for the proverbial prince to come sweep them off their feet.While 30 years ago a woman could afford to stay home and take care of the children while the man when to work,today's economic demands mean that a home needs two incomes to survive and one cannot afford to sit home and twiddle her thumbs while the man brings home the bread and butter.Kenyan women are going back to school for their Masters,Phds and even running their own businesses.
A lot has been said about the new constitution but something that should be repeated over and over again is that the new order brings a lot of good for women.There are a lot of seats available in both the national assembly and senate for women and it is my hope that we are going to see worthy female candidates come 2012.
As we elect the next batch of women in the next parliament,i hope they will take their time to study the rules of the house,take a more active role in house committees and debates.As it is today watching parliamentary proceedings it is very easy to see that women are overshadowed by men when it comes to contributions.Hopefully this changes in the 11 th parliament.
It is my prayer that with these new beginnings for women in all areas ,in the next 50 years we are going to bring up a generation of women who certain of their strength and role to play in our country and the worlds future will stand and be counted.
True that Santina
ReplyDelete