REPUBLIC OF KENYA

THE PRESIDENCYMINISTRY OF DEVOLUTION AND PLANNING

PUBLIC LECTURE DELIVERED BY ANNE WAIGURU OGW, THE CABINET SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF DEVOLUTION AND PLANNING, AT SMITH COLLEGE NORTHAMPTON, MASSACHUSETTS ON 12TH MARCH, 2015

DELIVERING WOMENS EMPOWERMENT THROUGH WOMENS LEADERSHIP AND SUPPORTIVE INSTITUTIONS

Ladies and Gentlemen,I am honored to address this distinguished fraternity here at the Smith College. Indeed, this is an institution of prestige, honor and distinct reputation, evidenced by the notable alumni who were educated here. As the Cabinet Secretary responsible for Gender Affairs in Kenya, it is encouraging to see an institution dedicated to providing cutting edge education to women who hold great potential in playing a crucial part in building and transforming society positively. Investing in womens education is central to the women empowerment agenda, and the overall human development agenda.

Today, I have been asked to speak about women and leadership in the context of devolution. This is perhaps because the university is aware, that my Ministrys portfolio covers both gender and devolution, or perhaps this is a subject that has been eliciting some due consideration within the academic and practitioners minds. However, though the whole question of womens participation in local governance is an interesting subject, I will give my lecture a slightly different spin. I want to take us on a journey, a journey of understanding how womens leadership can transform the bottom line, how womens leadership, can shape the destiny of a generation of women and men, and transform totally what we consider as social constructs that limit, the way men and women interact with each other and with their natural and man-made environment. The question that has occupied our minds again and again, is - does womens leadership alter the types and quality of decisions made at the decision making table, and do these decisions make a difference to the bottom line? In other words, how does womens leadership at different levels move us beyond just the numbers towards the empowerment of women?

In this regard, I would like to make three submissions today:One, that when women take up positions of leadership, they transform the well-being and opportunities for women and society at large. Two, I also want to submit that the institutional structures and processes that produce empowerment of women must be in place in order to create an enabling environment for women to become empowered.Three, I will illustrate these points by referencing Kenya as a case study of the empowerment of women.

Ladies and Gentlemen,I will therefore begin my lecture from the premise that indeed, womens leadership does have an impact in terms of transforming the well-being and opportunities of women. Women have a perspective that is not only useful for advancing the position of women more generally, but also advancing the society at large. It is this advantage that we need to tap into and harness to ensure that we promote the empowerment of women, and in the global scale, human development.

Ladies and Gentlemen,Consider certain key philosophical standpoints on empowerment. As early as the 1970s, the link between power and poverty was made by dependency theorists like Walter Rodney. The centre-periphery debate argued that individuals, structures, systems and nations that had power, used their power to perpetuate a state of underdevelopment for those they had power over. This was the whole theory around Rodneys famous work on How Europe Underdeveloped Africa. This in a sense resembles the notion of the first mover advantage that we see in business, playing out in political power and how it translates into social and economic power. The breaking away from this power shackles, is embodied in the concept of empowerment. What was happening amongst states, is also mirrored at the micro/individual level in the power relations between men and women.

The second theory, I shall refer to was one advanced, from the 1990s, as the alternative development model began to take root, in which the concept of empowerment became an important framing lens to describe various states of individual, group, institutional and community change.

The concept of individual empowerment, though not easily defined, manifests itself in reality as both internal and external change. Theorists have introduced two distinct, but interrelated types of individual empowerment psychological empowerment and political empowerment. Gruber and Trickett (1987) define psychological empowerment as happening at the level of individual consciousness and feelings. The focus here is on internal resources such as self-awareness, self-efficacy and the internal locus of control; while political empowerment they defined as change at a personal level that enables an individual to participate in decision-making that affects their life.

Another level of empowerment is the economic empowerment, which entails a capacity to access resources and utilize these resources to create wealth. This asset accumulation is thus assumed to generate streams of income that create sustenance of the decision making unit i.e. the household or family.

To these allow me to introduce another level of empowerment, which I will call the the integrated/all-round Empowerment. This is the empowerment that combines both the power to make decisions, implement the decisions and is supported by an internal environment that believes change is possible. The latter is what can be described as an internal locus of control, the I-can-do-it attitude. I must say here, that this latter element may be one of the single most important ingredients that we need to cultivate in women from when they are little girls.

Ladies and Gentlemen,So what are the institutional, structures and processes that produce empowerment of women? These institutions could be political, social or economic. The architecture of these institutions and institutional frameworks is critical in determining the path, type and duration that empowerment will take.For institutions to deliver empowerment, they must possess the following characteristics:i. Institutions must be cognizant of the gender disparities. The acceptance that there is a problem that needs to be made right is the first step towards addressing a problem. Institutions will not be able to deliver womens empowerment if they are blind to the differentials between men and women.ii. Institutions must promote inclusivity. Exclusion of either gender perpetuates an anti-thesis of empowerment. Women are not empowered through the exclusion of men, they are empowered through a mainstreaming approach, including them alongside men. iii. Institutions must be dynamic. Change is the one constant factor in life. People and systems are forever changing. Institutions should be flexible enough to be responsive when such changes take place. Policies and institutions should therefore be living beings that are constantly morphing with the times.iv. Institutions that promote empowerment are those that empower the mind, allowing free thinking, creativity and innovation. Senge (2006) suggests that institutions must be cognizant that the ability to change is directly proportional to ones ability to learn or empower oneself. As mentioned earlier, the inner belief of empowerment and the willingness to change is half the battle won on empowerment. v. For institutions to produce empowerment there is need to put money where the mouth is. Without financial investment in empowerment, it is a logical fallacy to expect to produce empowerment.

Ladies and Gentlemen,Allow me to now illustrate how Kenya has exemplified these characteristics that I have referred to. The Kenya government has decided to pursue an empowerment stance with regard to women and youth. This is the policy thrust that is informing all government policies and programmes aimed at addressing gender inequality. We are moving beyond just the numbers, aware, that having crossed the debate on numbers, and got these securely provided for in the Constitution, the next step was to move beyond this into the realm of results that impact the lives of women. It is about seeing a reduction in the number of cases of gender based violence; it is about having women own land and other factors of production; it is about having womens care work recognized and valued in economic terms thus giving it significance; it is about women having a say in family decisions; it is about government investing in services that will reduce the opportunity cost that women bear, as they go about their multiple roles. This is what true empowerment is about, it is about a baby girl born today, having the guaranteed knowledge that she has the very same opportunity as a baby boy to get quality healthcare, education, and access to opportunities for economic, social and political actualization.Ladies and Gentlemen,On the first characteristic, the realization that gender disparities affect and manifest in development is the first step towards promoting empowerment. As a government, our national development blue print, the Vision 2030, and the implementation framework, the Medium Term Plan recognizes this fact. Vision 2030 calls for mainstreaming of gender equity in all aspects of society. It further states that gender equity will be addressed by making fundamental changes in four key areas, namely: opportunity; empowerment; capabilities; and vulnerabilities.It therefore proposes policies and programmes aimed at redressing this situation. It is the policy thrust and programmes provided for in this framework that my Ministry is rolling out.

Our institutions are therefore demonstrating that they are cognizant of the problem!

Secondly, inclusion is the first step to equality and empowerment. In Kenya we are committed to bringing more women along economically and politically. In 2010 Kenya ushered in a new era with a progressive Constitution that was decades in the making. The Constitution of Kenya 2010 explicitly recognizes the equality of men and women and their right to equal treatment, including the right to equal opportunities in political, economic, cultural and social spheres (Article 27 (3). Gender inclusion is also recognized as a fundamental principle of our electoral system and the Constitution requires the State to implement legislative and other measures to implement the principle that not more than 2/3rds of the members of elective or appointive bodies shall be of the same gender.

The first Cabinet of the current President, H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta has the highest percentage of women in Kenyas history, out of 18 Ministries, 6 are headed by women. The portfolios they have been entrusted with are significant, including Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development; Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade; Ministry of East Africa Community and Tourism; Ministry of Environment, Water and Natural Resources; and Ministry of Devolution and Planning. In terms of womens political participation, today, women in Parliament form 25% of elected representatives, up from 9.9% in 2007, a significant improvement achieved within one election cycle. This was mainly possible because of the affirmative action seats created for women, in the form of County Women Representatives in Parliament, resulting in guaranteed 47 women representatives for the 47 counties and an additional 16 seats provided for in the Senate, where women were nominated by their respective parties.In addition devolution, brought with it expanded opportunities for women. Let me at this juncture, clarify what devolution means in the Kenyan context in general and how it is one of the drivers for womens empowerment. Admittedly, devolution is not necessarily a new concept in political governance. However, Kenya has created a bespoke model of devolution to respond to our unique needs and one that is aimed at spurring growth across the country by taking decision making on governance closer to the people, thus allowing development to be better targeted for communities. Under this dispensation, the country has a two tier structure comprising of a National Government as well as 47 devolved units or Counties both of which are intricately connected through the principles of mutual interdependence and cooperation. All the 47 counties have their own county assemblies that legislate at the county level. The county assemblies have at least 30% representation of women, due to a Constitutional affirmative action requirement that ensured where an election did not yield 30%, women were nominated by their respective parties, to top up the gender deficit in order to meet the constitutional threshold for constituting the County Assembly. Devolution in our context is also the avenue for citizen participation. As a matter of fact, the Constitution explicitly requires that before any law is passed either by Parliament or by the County Assemblies, adequate consultations are made with the citizenry to allow for their participation and determination of their destiny. So in terms of inclusion, we can confidently say, women numbers at the decision making table are increasing.The third and fourth characteristics, are evidenced by the fact of the critical questions that was asked when the Jubilee government came into power following the 2013 elections. It was evident that, there was the need to change with the changing times, to move from business as usual to business unusual with regard to gender equality and womens empowerment. Of importance was the realization that we needed to do things differently to make the much needed leap towards gender equality. How could we do this differently we asked? It was through this introspection that we re-structured our gender policy and programming framework and implemented a mainstreaming approach. We did this first by deploying officers to every Ministry. These officers are responsible for applying a gender lens to every policy and programme implemented within their ministry, using the gender management systems approach. In doing this we have seen some very interesting results in Ministries such as Defense, that now have programmes targeting women amongst others.Our institutions have therefore demonstrated that they have the elasticity to accommodate innovation and dynamism

Fifth, it is now widely accepted that investing in women is investing in a community. As a government, through the leadership of H.E the President, there is a deliberate decision to invest in women, by putting money in the hands of women, to help them expand their economic opportunities. In 2013 H.E. President Uhuru Kenyatta directed that, the National Treasury issued regulations that provided that at least 30% of all public procurement shall be reserved for enterprises owned by women, youth, and Persons With Disabilities. The Preference and Reservation Regulations provide a unique opportunity for women to access the single largest consumer of goods and services in Kenya: the Kenya Government. This translates to giving this category of people access to USD2.1 Billion worth of business every year. The use of supplier diversity on this scale by a government to economically empower women, youth and PWDs is unprecedented. With these new Regulations Kenya is making a bold bet on women. We are expanding the scope of their economic opportunities and engagement. We know if we can harness our competitive advantage, our youth and our previously underutilized human resources and talents (women) we can accelerate economic development and create sustainable growth.

Through this policy direction, we have in a sense closed the loop, in terms of womens economic empowerment. Women are the majority in small and micro-enterprises. Aware of this fact and cognizant of the reality that small and micro enterprises face challenges with regard to access to financial services, the Government established various funds aimed at deepening financial access for women and youth. These include the Womens Enterprise Fund, Youth Enterprise Development Fund, and the Uwezo (Ability) Fund. Together these funds have disbursed USD240Million since their inception. This money helps women establish formalize, and scale their businesses and makes capacity building opportunities for business establishment and development possible. Now government is providing them with market access by buying from them, thus resolving one of the biggest challenges of small enterprises Access to Market.Women are a competitive advantage for sustainable economic growth. The Global Gender Gap Report lists Kenya as 9th overall in Economic Participation and Opportunity. When we imagine what we have been able to accomplish this tells us that womens economic empowerment is a big part of the Kenya rising story. What more can we accomplish and how much faster can we do it if we harness womens energies, talents in economic and leadership pursuits? We plan to find out. Our institutions are evidently putting money in the women empowerment agenda.

Ladies and Gentlemen,So what have we learned through the implementation of these policies and programmes?

i. Women, at the table, impact on the decisions at the table One of the key reasons why the decision on the 30% preferential provisions on procurement as adopted speedily is because women, in Cabinet championed and rallied around this proposal. As the Minister responsible for gender, and as a woman, I have been able to constantly push the envelope even further, designing programmes aimed at training not only the beneficiaries, but also the procurement officers within government, who were expected to offer the greatest resistance.ii. Womens influence, need not only be at the decision making table As women, we have to recognize that we have to begin somewhere. The push towards our very progressive Constitution with regard to gender equality and womens empowerment required a multi-faceted strategy, involving women applying their lobbying skills, leveraging advantages they had over their male peers, and pushing from every direction. The Constitution was passed through, the effort of women who may not have been at the table, but were in every space constantly drumming up support for it.iii. Womens leadership should also be about building alliances across the divide with like-minded male counterparts We have to win over the other half of the population. Some of the achievements we have been able to record have been as a result of the commitment by H.E the President to the empowerment of women, he is the biggest champion of this agenda, and it is because of this high level political will from a male leader, that we move forward and move faster.iv. Women, leaders need to inspire the next generation of women leaders As I mentioned earlier, one of the greatest ingredients that will influence the quality of womens leadership, is the - internal locus of control. Women identifying that they have it within them to create the change they want to see. This conviction is made deeper, by looking up and seeing the transformation being effected by those ahead of us. When women succeed in bringing about transformation, it inspires the next generation of women to do just the same, and the cycle continues. Successful womens leadership is thus not an option, it is an imperative. A lot of my passion, drive and inspiration stems from women who blazed the trail before me such as Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai, who against tremendous odds, succeeded in creating a difference in her sphere of influence and beyond..

Ladies and Gentlemen,As I conclude, let me say that indeed, women are playing a bigger role at the decision making table in Kenya. This is not to imply there are no challenges, we continue to struggle, as you do in the United States, with getting more women elected into office and realizing the critical mass in political leadership, executive and legislative, that will usher in a new dawn for women. Ultimately, leaders, be they male or female are judged by the results on one hand and for the impact their leadership has on society. It seems to me that the solution may lie in the multiplicity of spaces that are opened up for womens leadership in all sectors and disciplines including political leadership, trade and businesses, education, media and in other social-cultural arena.In Kenya we are realizing the positive developmental impact of greater economic empowerment and that, we believe, is an opportunity to realize greater womens empowerment and attain gender equality. We need to do whatever it takes to win over and bring along as many men and women as possible and however they come around whether it is due to their belief in fairness and equality or from the sustained economic advantages of including women, our ultimate goal, from which we shall not be deterred is gender equality.However, at the global level, I want to encourage a strategic impatience in terms of our journey to gender equality. The members of the United Nations and various NGOs are currently in New York at the 59th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women to discuss the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and craft a Beijing plus 20 agenda. If twenty years after Beijing we are still struggling with some of the fundamental equality issues then we need to revise our strategy. This is not to say we have not as a global community made progress on the issues of gender equality and womens empowerment, we have significant progress. It is not to say that we should abandon these international forums where we chart progress and gains and ensure we remain on track but we, as women need to set the agenda. Do we want to realize gender equality in our lifetimes or bequeath to our daughters the struggle? That is the fundamental question we face as women. Not as students, activists or politicians or leaders but as women. We need to decide how quickly we want gender equality and then strategize with an end in mind. We seem to have become complacent with an in principle agreement to gender equality but in practice status quo. Women globally need to find a collective voice and move this last mile together. Speaking with regard to slavery Fredrick Douglass said Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. I do not hear the global demand from women for equality. I hear the polite whispers for inclusion and the tentative approaches to the decision making table. This is why for instance in terms of political leadership woman have only pierced the glass ceiling. Individual women have risen to the position of President or Prime Minister in every continent in the world the liberal West (Australia) to Conservative South (Bangladesh) but these have for the most part been isolated individual accomplishments. We have not seen a flood of women rising in political leadership within these countries. Why is it? What we need is to shatter the ceiling and we can only do this by creating a wave of women that moves forward together. We have the legal framework for gender equality in the vast majority of countries, it isnt perfect but what is. Almost everywhere in the world we have the legal right to lead and I want to add that this generation in particular has a responsibility to lead. Prof Henrietta Moore of the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford has recently suggested that the development framework of the 20th century is no longer appropriate in the twenty first century. She suggests that a partial learning theory of development is the bringing together of key parts of grounded principles, the need for experimentation in creating and adjusting the frameworks to fit emerging contexts, and the critical need for collaboration and partnership as the fundamentals that will secure the progress of developing nations. This is true too of the progress we need to make in securing equality for women. So I am very excited to be with you today since I know Smith College is at the forefront in nurturing women leaders, and I look forward to answering your questions and hearing your answers to mine.Thank you.