- Women have therefore been leaders of their households, as without their prowess, homes would be chaotic and unstable.
- Translating their leadership skills to public affairs is indeed a promising move towards the betterment of any nation. This has yielded results in Kenya following the increased number of women elected as leaders in the 2022 elections.
Our Unmerited Gift: The Worth of Women To a Nation
03 Jun, 2024 02:40 PM
Since days beyond recall, women have been the backbones of many households, with responsibilities that ensure sustainability falling on their shoulders. Women attend to the welfare of the children as well as those of their husbands. Their ability to perform these tasks, together with other duties that come with motherhood, is a testament to their multitasking skills.
Women have therefore been leaders of their households, as without their prowess, homes would be chaotic and unstable.
We are products of women, and their influence, skills, and input shape who we become. This trickles down to the coming generations, ensuring their salience does not fade in the face of time.
All through history, women have been exemplary and extra-ordinary. This has been born of their determination to ensure everything is in order. For instance, the women architects of the Gabra community have taken the role of building houses for their families and owned it since time immemorial. Another example is the Giriama activist and revolutionist Mekatilili wa Menza, who led her people in the fight against the colonial administration in 1915.
The Late Wangari Maathai is an excellent testimony of female incredibility in pushing beyond barriers. She acknowledged the importance of women in a society with the quote, “African women in general need to know that it’s okay for them to be the way they are – to see the way they are as a strength, and to be liberated from fear and from silence.”
Translating their leadership skills to public affairs is indeed a promising move towards the betterment of any nation. This has yielded results in Kenya following the increased number of women elected as leaders in the 2022 elections.
According to Infotrak polls on Governors’ performance as of October 2023, Homabay Governor, H.E Gladys Wanga, secured a spot at the helm of the list alongside Trans-Nzoia Governor, H.E George Natembeya. The ratio of women governors ranked in the top 13 on the list was 4:3.
In a recent survey involving eight individuals (five males and three females) conducted in Naivasha, Nakuru County, it was evident that locals are pleased with their governor, Hon Susan Kihika. She has adequately picked up projects from the previous regime and has quickened their completion, projects like the new bus terminus, the upcoming Naivasha fish market, and multiple forthcoming markets, for example, Dundori Center and Kabatini ESP.
They also applauded the governor on her fight to restore the Nakuru War Memorial Hospital in an effort to ensure it is no longer regarded as a private entity and, therefore, open to everyone rather than only to those with deep pockets.
In a recent special sitting, the Majority Leader of the National Assembly, Kimani Ichungw'a acknowledged the importance of women in leadership, alluding to the fact that they are good financial managers and ought to be given more support.
“I have seen as I grew up, my own mother taking care of the pennies, knowing when you take care of the pennies the pounds will take care of themselves,” he said.