Where Women Are: Gender & The 2017 Kenyan Elections

by Nanjala Nyabola (Editor), Marie-Emmanuelle Pommerolle (Editor)

While the drama of the complicated 2017 General election in Kenya unfolded and the clash between the patriarchs dominated the headlines, women were once again relegated to a secondary position in the public conversation. 'Flower girls', 'Someone's Wife'. These are some of the terms used to describe Kenyan women in politics - as simply accompanying and supporting men rather than having complex identities and public lives of their own. Yet Kenyan women were present and active, pushing against layers of structural and physical gendered violence to claim space in the political arena. This collection captures some of the stories and experiences of women participating in the heated 2017 general election in Kenya in order to shed light on the nuances and complexities facing women who choose to enter electoral politics. From stories of rural women using traditional social networks to access political power, to young urban women defying expectations and confronting an electorate that was conditioned to ignore them, these stories not only highlight the problems that women face but also the ingenious ways they navigate the spaces that do exist. Kenyan women are present and active in politics and this book works to see and understand where they are.

208 pages, Paperback

Published August 28, 2018

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

When this book was handed to me at the very excellent Cheche Books and Coffee in Nairobi I thought it was going to be a little dry, technically interesting rather than passionately so. I realised I was wrong from the Introduction alone. The works here are passionately written, they take both feminist and anti-colonial stance (I am hesistant to write “stance” because it’s not a perspective so much as it is documented truth). And the writing is crisp.

On moving to Kenya I found a hero in Professor Wangari Mathai, and in these pages I found many more (Wambui Otieno, Samantha Maina, Mama Amina and Rahma). Many books about African political history have women as a backdrop if they are mentioned at all. They serve to inspire and care for the male protagonists. This collection of her-stories is important not because it is complete, but because it helps to see women in their real political roles, on the frontlines and forging ahead, instead of as obedient cheerleaders.

The book gave me a better appreciation of the barriers Kenyan women face to joining politics and admiration for the ambition they need to enter the political ring and stay there. The piece on women vying for political seats in the coastal region detailing the complexities of how women must work to be portrayed (what to wear, how to mention your husband, how aggressive to be, ethnic and religious concerns etc) was frankly exhausting to think about, I cannot imagine the energy these women have needed to jump through these ever-moving hoops.

Very recommended reading for anyone with even a slight interest in politics in Kenya, in gender and leadership in East Africa and in the advancement and revealing of women’s truths in general.

[Gowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very eye-opening analysis of the Kenyan Political and Governance scene in Kenya, and the inclusion (or lack thereof) of women in it. With the exception of a few 'fluffy' chapters, quite educative. Shines light on the unavoidable upcoming constitutional crisis.