Women in Politics – Udada na Siasa, Jun. 26-30 2017 @ Alliance Française & Goethe Institut

Dates: June 26 – 30, 2017
Venue: Alliance Française & Goethe Institut

Udada na Siasa – A level playing field?
The Alliance Française Nairobi and the Goethe-Institut Kenya are presenting a series of activities on the topic of ‘Women in Politics – Udada na Siasa’ views from Germany, France and Kenya, from 26th to 30th June.

In a year, when all three countries Germany, France and Kenya have either held their General Elections or will be holding them, this French-German initiative, supported by the French-German Cultural Fund and the European Union Delegation in Kenya, will explore and compare the challenges encountered by women in decision making and political processes in the three countries.

Through panel discussions, digital art installations, twitter conversations, participatory puppet theatre performances and a multi-media film, artists, experts and the general public will reflect on the place of women in politics from the perspectives of the electorate and the politicians.

In France, after the second round of legislative elections on last Sunday, 223 women were elected to France’s lower house. With 38.65% of seats in the National Assembly, the election marks a new record for female representation in the French parliament. It’s good news for equality: Women now hold 223 seats in the 577-seat National Assembly but still falls short of true equality in representation.

In Kenya, women are likely to be elected for the first time to some of Kenya’s powerful governor positions heralding a political breakthrough in a patriarchal society where women have struggled to make gains in the face of violence, intimidation and sexism.

In Germany, although Angela Merkel has been in the office of the chancellor since 2005, only approximately 33 % of the members of the Federal German Parliament are women. The old idea that women should focus on Kinder, Kirche, und Küche—children, church, and kitchen – still holds sway in the country. The way to a political office is solely through engagement in the parties and the male dominated hierarchies. The sexist actions and utterances create a hostile atmosphere towards women, thus discouraging them from political engagement.

How can more progress be made towards a level playing field? Join us next week. For the full programme of activities, click here.