Women and Global Politics: Analyzing Challenges Faced By Women Political Leaders in Kenya

This study examined the challenges that women face accessing political leadership positions with particular reference to Kenyan women. The objective of this research was to investigate the relationship between women and global politics analyzing the various challenges faced by women in political leadership positions in Kenya. The research notes that the various challenges can be linked to the social construction of gender roles in Kenya and around the world. Therefore, the study was based on the hypothesis that the relationship between women and global politics is complex and is demonstrated by the challenged they experience on the road to politics. The research established that despite women constituting half the population worldwide, women are still under-represented in politics. In Kenya for instance, women constitute over 52% of the population yet the 2/3 gender rule stating that not more than two thirds of people in parliament shall be of the same gender is yet to be realised. Nonetheless, the research attributes that the degree of attention given to women politicians in Kenya has considerably increased in recent years. This is due to the enacting of the 2010 Kenyan constitution that is hailed as the most progressive constitution for women and minority. The research employed a qualitative approach with information being drawn from past and current materials. Data was gathered from secondary sources that included books, research journals, interviews, reports among others. The research findings concluded that women are still underrepresented in political leadership positions. It further argued that some societies are less cooperative in ensuring that women take senior leadership positions both in the public and the private sphere. The research further acknowledges that cultural practices and gender stereotyping may have influenced men’s perceptions on women political leadership in the past, but closely observes that good leadership is not based on gender but qualities a person possesses, regardless of their gender. The study recommends that women empowerment and gender equality both in the public and private sphere should be emphasized. It also suggest that women should stop creating their own barriers and give support to women in politics and those aspiring to get into politics. The research further recommends that the Kenyan legislature and the government should create more opportunities for women to get into politics. For future research, I seek to look at how Rwanda has managed to have more women representation in parliament than any other African country looking at how the political good will, the affirmative action, structural adjustments and policies have purposefully supported the inclusion of Rwandan women into parliament after the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.