There is need to guard against the rollback of institutional and constitutional gains made in the empowerment of women in the country.
Supreme Court judge Lady Justice Njoki Ndung'u said that the journey to women empowerment in Kenya has been long and protracted and any rollback on gender parity mechanisms would deny women opportunities availed to them by the constitution and other institutional frameworks.
Speaking in Mombasa during the inaugural Trickles and Harness public lecture series, Justice Ndung'u cited the reintroduction of taxes on sanitary towels as an unwarranted rollback on the gains made for women.
"Some of the decisions on women are made by men who do not understand the struggles of women," she said adding that women in decision making spaces ought to learn the art of negotiation to get what is rightfully theirs.
Justice Ndung'u who was delivering a lecture on "Women in Leadership: Navigating the crossroads between power politics and patriarchy," urged women not to succumb to stereotyping and sexism in power and they should use their brain power, persuasion and influence to achieve what they want.
"We need to continue sensitizing, engaging, and educating men to achieve and sustain the constitutional and institutional gains made in the struggle for women empowerment," she observed.
She reiterated that the first women leaders amongst them Nyiva Mwendwa, Prof Wangari Mathai, and Wambui Otieno had to overcome massive patriarchal and patronizing stumbling blocks to make their voices heard.
The patriarchy and power struggles that they faced confined some of them to ignominy and thus the need to continue documenting the significant contributions made by women in power, politics and decision making spaces.
"For instance, Priscila Abwao, a Lancaster House conference delegate was asked to write a memorandum which was not even considered during deliberations, while Jemima Gachaga the first nominated women member of Parliament was asked to resign to give up her position to a man. No one talks about them despite their input in nation building," she noted.
The Trickle & Harness (T&H) Public Lecture Forum series marks a bold step toward fostering an informed, engaged, and empowered society according to the chairperson of the forum Mrs Evelyn Lele.
"This new platform brings together experts, thought leaders, and the public to exchange ideas, challenge perspectives, and inspire action on pressing societal issues," she said.
At a time when misinformation and disinformation—accelerated by emerging AI technologies—threaten democratic integrity, public health, climate action, and social cohesion, T&H seeks to create a trusted space for truth, learning, and enlightenment.
“This is more than a lecture series; it is a transformative platform where knowledge flows freely, empowering individuals and communities with actionable insights,” said Mrs. Lele, Chairperson of T&H, during the launch.
The lecture brought together professionals from the legal, management, leadership, Communication and Public Relations, fields.
T&H is designed to promote public education and civic engagement, bridge knowledge gaps and combat misinformation, inspire positive change in personal lives, workplaces, and communities, and build lasting connections among professionals, academics, and community leaders.
