Significance of Leadership in Women’s Self-Mobilization for Policy Advocacy for Women’s Economic Empowerment

Abstract

The Constitution of Kenya 2010 has been hailed as the most women friendly constitution among the world’s constitutions. It is the outcome of women’s effective participation at all stages of the Constitution making process. In addition to the affirmative action provisions which contributed to quantitative representation of women in decision-making institutions at different levels, the Constitution has many provisions aimed at addressing women’s practical and strategic gender needs. Women’s constitutional gains have been ascribed to women’s self-mobilization to influence the Constitution making process. The question this Paper is interrogating is whether the strategies women used to influence the Constitution making process could be replicated in influencing the formulation and implementation of economic policies so as to enhance women’s economic empowerment with similar outcomes.
The Paper analyses some of the strategies that women used to ensure their concerns were entrenched in the Constitution and underscores the significance of committed and strategic leadership for the success of any of the strategies women used during the Constitution making process. The Paper concludes that similar leadership would be crucial in influencing the economic policies. The Paper is based on secondary data gathered from internet sources and publications on women’s participation in the Constitution making process in Kenya. The authors have also put in undocumented information based on her personal experiences in the Constitution making process.