testimonial- lesson learnt manual

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More thana thirdCase Studies on Women and Leadership

Lessons Learnt Manual

Christian Partners Development Agency (CPDA) Christian Partners

Development Agency (CPDA)Gender and Governance

Programme (GGP)

USAWA NI HAKI GGP

Ni Haki

Lesson learnt manual.indd 1 8/4/12 2:03 PM

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More thana thirdCase Studies on Women and Leadership

Lessons Learnt Manual

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Copyright: Christian Partners Development Agency (CPDA)Waiyaki Way, AACC Building, Ground Floor,Telephone: +254 204 442 838, 444 1994,Email: [email protected],P.O. Box 13968-00800, Nairobi, Kenyawww.cpda.or.ke

Editing and Production: Community Communication NetworkP.O. Box 278 - 00511 NairobiTel: 0722 303040,


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ForewordThis manual presents case studies and lessons learnt from the “More than a Third’ project

of the Gender and Governance Programme implemented by Christian Partners Develop-ment Agency (CPDA) and funded by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and

the Empowerment of Women (UNWOMEN).The project involved the identification of women aspirants in the larger Western region, and

building of their capacity with the aim of enhancing the realization of the constitutional provision of not more than two third of either gender in elective and appointive offices.

The objective of the manual is to develop a resource pack containing the experiences and challenges of an identified sample of participants that will be used as learning material for related projects. The manual was developed from interviews with selected participants. Case studies were then developed to capture the experiences of participants and compile lessons from the project to inform the effective implementation of related projects in future.

One of the successes of the project was the building of capacity of those who participated. Notably, it scored highly in developing the self-confidence of participants, improving their knowl-edge on constitutional provisions, identifying laws related to women leadership or affirmative action, and imparting skills in campaign strategy and management.

Alice KirambiExecutive Director, CPDA


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About the Manual

The purpose of the ‘More than a Third’ manual is to capture the project’s lessons learned in a formal document for use by other project managers on

similar projects. It may be useful to persons involved in planning similar projects to determine problem areas, understand problem-solving, and handle similar problems in future. Additionally, the manual will explain what went well with the project and why, so that other project managers may capitalize on these actions.


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Being single was a stigma butnot a deterrent for Hellen

Helen, a single mother of two, is a teacher who holds sever-al other leadership positions and has been a Vice Treasurer of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) in one

of the branches. During campaigns for a position in KNUT, her colleagues who were married branded her an immoral woman and a husband snatcher. They vowed not to give their votes to her.

Though KNUT had a position of a Woman Representative, Helen opted to battle with the men for other positions. Some men colleagues told her that she was mad. “Why don’t you just vie for the women’s seat?’’ She was asked on several occasions but she was focused and was determined to compete with her male colleagues. Nothing was going to deter her.

While she moved from school to school campaigning, she used cheap transport like motorbikes. Whenever it rained, she risked accidents and became a frequent visitor to hospitals. Rumours then started that she was HIV positive. This was worsened by the fact that she was a divorcee, who was now too immoral to stay married. ‘How then could she make a leader if she could not make a wife?’ it was often asked.

On the election date, her closest competitor (a man) was guaranteed victory. He even made arrangements for a victory party later that evening. When Hellen was, however, announced as the winner, the man fainted after exclaiming, “A woman has beaten me!”

Hellen became a proud occupant of the new position. Little did she know that she was now more than ever under public scrutiny. She was also overly indebted to her supporters. She had just become a goddess, who was expected to solve everybody’s problems, financial or otherwise. Any developments she made

in her home were now attributed to the money she was ‘extorting’ through her position. For her, it was like she never earned a salary, it was like she never could make a saving.

This experience had the impact of hardening her. Today, Hellen’s eyes are focused on higher skies. She hopes to vie for the Kakamega Wom-en Representative seat and is confident that she will win.

Case Study ONE

How could she make a leader if she could not make a wife?

When Hellen was, however, announced as the winner, the man

fainted after exclaiming, “A woman has beaten

me!”

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TWOPursuit for justice thrust me to leadership

My name is Maurine. I am a thirty-one year old woman who has had the desire to be a leader since secondary school where I was a Christian

Union leader, by which virtue I felt that I had all it takes to be a leader. I was born in Banja Location but later settled in Jepkoyai Location by virtue of marriage. In my new home I was regarded as an outsider, so getting a leadership position was a challenge.

As an entry point into leadership, I decided to start a Community Based Organization (CBO) to support children and women orphaned or widowed by HIV/AIDS. The CBO did well until we got support from the government. Other donors and opinion leaders in the area felt that an outsider could not be receiving funding and making decisions on activities on behalf of their people. Furthermore I was a woman! Afraid of confrontation, I withdrew from the CBO and within two months, it had collapsed.

A few weeks later, the area Councillor’s wife, who had been put in police custody, after she assaulted her

co-wife, was released and declared not guilty. An-noyed that justice had not been served, I mobilized people to demonstrate and demand an explanation from the Officer in Charge of Station (OCS) on the reason for her release. After consultations and lob-bying, the lady was taken to court and was charged.

It was barely a week after this incident that people came to my house to ask me to vie for a post in the next elections. I decided to try with a position in a political party. I picked the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) as my party of choice and vied for the position of Deputy Organizing Secretary. Though I had all along wanted to be a leader, the small hurdles like lack of funds, confrontations and doubts nearly made me give up. I nearly pulled out due to pressure from both the family and the community. I was very scared, had little confidence in myself and felt insufficient financially but I vied for the post. Amazingly, I was elected Deputy Organizing Secretary at the County level.

Case Study

As an entry point into leadership, I decided to start

a Community Based Organization (CBO) to support children and women orphaned or

widowed by HIV/AIDS. The CBO did well until we got support from

the government.


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THREECase Study

It seemed a crime to take a political stand

I am Miriam, a 48-year old woman who comes from Emuhaya Con-stituency. The Constituency was

dominated by the Orange Demo-cratic Movement (ODM) party but its leaders did little to change the living standards of the people.

I felt that I needed to support an issue-based leader and not the party that seemed to be most popular. So I decided to support several candidates in the Party of National Unity (PNU), particulary the then Presidential candidate.

I was the chief campaigner for PNU in my constituency leading a group called “Wamama na Kibaki” and I believe that my

strategy contributed greatly to the number of votes he garnered in the constituency. I identified and recruited five (5) supporters, representative of all the Wards. I had been tasked with the duty of persuading a given number of people from their Wards to support the candidate. These people would persuade a few others in a bid to form a cell system of pooling votes.

The success of PNU generated a lot of hatred among different communities in the constituency and I had to go into hiding for my safety. Being a chairlady of a women’s micro finance group, I had just received funds to distribute

to women who had applied for assistance from the women’s fund. I found it hard to operate as I could not leave the house unless I called the District Officer to escort me to the bank and back.

Angry young men came to my house two days later with the aim of torching my house but just before they could accomplish their mission, one gentleman, my neighbour, spoke to them. He asked them just one question, “This lady whose home you want to torch has only one vote. That means that your mothers, brothers, sisters and relatives voted for PNU too; do you intend to torch all their houses as well?”

I had just received funds to distribute to women who had applied for assistance from the women’s fund. I found it hard to operate as I could not leave the house unless I called the District Officer to escort me to

the bank and back.

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FOURCase Study

Nocturnal activities are not feminine, they cost me a seat

Judith applied for the post of Assistant Chief in 2005 in Busali East and was shortlisted but

when word went around that she was a candidate, people started arguing that culture does not allow them to be led by a woman. That way she lost it. However, that did not dampen her spirit. In 2007 during the general elections, she vied to be elected Councillor. In a bid to go by the norms, she and her husband went to seek endorsement from the elders.

The elders were quick to en-dorse her and even assured her of their total support. But as soon as she left, they changed and agreed that their community was not ready to be led by a woman.

‘The party I chose made it very difficult for me to be part of major decisions. Given the need to hold strategy meetings late into the night, I had to sleep out at certain times. This did not appeal to my

I wish to vie for the Sabatia Member of National Assembly seat; in a community that has not accepted that women can

lead, where women vow not to vote for their counterparts, and where poverty has made people view leaders not as fa-cilitators of solutions to problems but as solutions themselves

family or the community at large. Rumours started making rounds that I had affairs with different men and the pressure be-came too much for even my very support-ive husband to bear. One day when I came home at about 11 pm, I found him seated in the sitting room with a panga ready to deal with his new cause of humiliation.

Despite the troubles, I lost the nomina-tion and this made it even worse because now we had become the laughing stock of the village. Men would tease my husband on his lack of authority and control over me and to add salt to injury, they kept reminding him of the finances that were wasted during the process. My husband has since passed on and now I am widow. I wish to vie for the Sabatia Member of National Assembly seat; in a community that has not accepted that women can lead, where women vow not to vote for their counterparts, and where poverty has made people view leaders not as facilitators of solutions to problems but as solutions themselves, Judith says.

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FIVECase Study

Thumbs up for rare support from husband

Muyendo decided to vie for a post in her political party at a time when her child was only two months old. With the support of her husband, she felt that she could manage. To be elected for

the post, she had to travel to the city to pay a nomination fee of five thousand Kenya Shillings. The trips to Nairobi with an infant were not very easy but she was determined to make it.

Since the post was in the national executive committee of the party, it was to be filled through party delegates who were to congregate at a central point to vote. On the day of election, members of the party, who were interested in the position, turned up at the Bomas of Kenya.

She did not have much money to spend on the campaigns but her husband had invested in A5 posters for his wife and advised her to exploit her talent in Kenyan languages to persuade representatives of different communities to vote for her. She was escorted to this event by her husband and her two-month old infant. While they sat following the proceedings, some delegates would pass by her and make nasty comments, “This prostitute, does she even have a husband, she doesn’t know how to take good care of her child, how can she bring a child to such a gathering?”

She got so angry that she wanted to fight back but her husband told her, “Those statements are nasty and bruise my ego more than yours, but I am your husband, I know who you are; so just let them talk and don’t mind them.” This was comforting. Coupled with the experience she had gained through training, that it is important to control her temper, she ignored the comments.

At the venue, a small boy walked up to her; a boy she knew and told her that a woman who she knew from the village had asked him to call her to go outside. Naively, she handed the husband the baby and went out without telling him where she was headed. Outside, a furious crowd of women waited for her, they surrounded her and started pushing her towards the washrooms. Her protests did not yield any fruits but luckily another lady who had become an acquaintance saw her and came to her rescue by alerting the husband who came and told off the group of women.

Later, she learnt that these women were not happy that she had met all the requirements of candidature and were wondering how she got the information that guided her preparations. She was elected Secre-tary Housing, Labour and Social Services.

In the coming elections, she hopes to vie for a post in her area but she has learnt that it is necessary to check your suitability and consult with community and family on the best post, so she is still consulting on which post she can offer herself for leadership.

She got so angry that she wanted to fight back but her

husband told her, “Those state-

ments are nasty and bruise my ego more than yours, but I am your husband, I know who

you are; so just let them talk

and don’t mind them.” This was comforting. Cou-pled with the ex-perience she had gained through

training, that it is important to con-trol her temper, she ignored the

comments.


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SIXCase Study Not just a quest of charm and beauty, it is tough work winning

Alice first vied for the Sabatia Parliamentary seat in 2007. The death of her

husband just before the elections made her a widow, a situation that seemed to cast her as unsuitable for leadership. In her area, women were not supportive of their fellow women and they opted to vote for men.

Alice is a principled indepen-dent decision maker and when she joined her political party of choice, she was advised that in order to get nomination in that party, it was expected that her charm and beauty would work for her. She lost the nomination because she respected herself enough to stand her ground and the fact that she was the people’s preference was insignificant.

Determined not to let her supporters down, she switched parties. Luckily, the law did not limit new party members from contesting. ‘I was gladly accepted into the new party which felt that I was a plus to their party seeing the kind of support I commanded,’ she says.

Unfortunately, due to corrup-tion and bribery, the next party was compromised and there, too, she did not secure the nomination. ‘Relentless, I moved to yet another party but there they took me in and gave me nomination for their own selfish interest -the nomina-tion fees.’

During the campaigns, my vehicles were vandalized, I got threatening messages and on the eve of the campaigns, my agents were compromised in a bid to ensure that I did not make it. The first party that had sabotaged my nomination had vowed that they would not allow a woman to beat them since it would be embarrassing. The agents, who were not compromised, came to my house the evening before the polls, demanding their wages and I paid them unaware that they did not have my best interest at heart. On the polling day, I went to vote and left for home to wait for the results sure that my votes would be safeguarded by the agents. My agents sat there during the vote counting and witnessed the presiding clerks announce that I had garnered 30 votes in an area where eye witnesses say I had

garnered 300 votes. My supporters who needed assistance did not receive any from my agents either.

When the results were an-nounced, I had lost. My supporters were surprised at the turn of events because even in polling stations where my family and close friends voted and I was sure of some votes, I was said to have received no votes. I was advised to seek justice and request a recount, but bearing in mind the hectic long process of elec-toral disputes in Kenya, I sought to ask God to forgive the people who had gone against the wish of the people and decided that the next time I would employ a few different strategies to ensure that my votes are safeguarded.

I am now planning to vie for the National Assembly as a women’s representative, Vihiga County.

Bearing in mind the hectic long process of electoral disputes in Kenya, I sought to ask God to forgive the people who had gone against the wish of the people and decided that the next time I would employ a few different strategies to ensure that my votes are safeguarded.


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Truth and fairness: thriving in a society of false hopes

Bibiana was born and bred in Kakamega South. She went to school but dropped out at form two due to lack of school fees. She got married early and

bore five children. She wanted to get education and give her children a better life than hers. So she did all in her powers to complete her education. Today, she is pursuing a degree course and is a Councillor elected by the people of Kakamega Central. Kakamega central is an area that tends to favour one depending on clanship; any person who does not belong there is considered an outsider.

‘Though I was born in South, married in Kakamega West and settled in Central, I had set a track record while serving the community as a volunteer children’s officer in the larger Kakamega as a principled, caring and open- minded person.

The Councillor’s position had attracted nine men and one woman and a few people argued that I should not be elected since I was a woman and a new comer and could not possibly have a clear understanding of the problems of the people. However, the widows and orphans I had worked with earlier thought I was

the best leader since I employed all inclusive approaches in problem solving, by working with the people to come up with suitable solutions for their issues as opposed to imposing my way of doing things.

In my campaigns, I desisted from giving false hopes or promises. I stayed within what I was sure I could deliver, I stood for what I believed and when required, I gave facts and information to support my stand. At the May-

oral elections in Kakamega where we are thirteen Councillors, my vote was the one to determine who wins and becomes the next Mayor. It was expected that I would elect the representative of the bigger clan from which I too hail. I was even

bribed but I declined the bribe and chose to vote for the leader I felt was an issue based leader and with my vote, I made it possible for the representative of the minority who indeed was a leader, to win.

I firmly support the truth such that one day one of my rivals told me, “In the Kenya we live in, you cannot always just stick to the truth and expect to make it in life. However, I have learnt that like the Bible says, the truth will always set you free. I will continue to serve my people in fairness and truth.

‘Though I was born in South, married in Kakamega West and settled in Central, I had

set a track record while serving as volunteer children’s officer in the larger Kakamega as a principled, caring and open-

minded person.

SEVENCase Study

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EIGHTCase Study

Road is tough, but relentlessly, she matches on

Margaret, 55, has worked in the education sector for over 37 years during which she has assumed different leadership positions. Last year, she de-cided to resign to prepare herself for political office. She felt that experi-

ence working with the community as an educationist had given her an under-standing of the issues that were pertinent to the people in her community

and hence she was best placed to come up with appropriate solutions.She hopes to vie to be the next Member of the National As-sembly for Hamisi Constituency in a community that is culture

laden; one that believes that a woman will not be their lead-er. She has been told severally that the Constitution has

given women their seat. Why can’t she just be comfort-able and vie for the Women’s Representative seat?

It has become a real issue that she has opted to compete with men. Her sixteen male competi-

tors in Hamisi have joined forces to fight her. When she launched her campaign, she was a member of the Orange Demo-

cratic Movement (ODM) but in the light of the recent defection of a

member from her region, and the fact that political parties in

Kenya are regional group-ings, it was expected that she would decamp.

She has not decamped since she is in a party that

shares her ideologies and beliefs. Determined to fight cultur-

al stereotypes and myths, she has embarked on sensitization trainings

targeted at women and men to empow-er them and sensitize them on gender roles

and the need for women to maximize on the opportunities created by the new Constitution.

She is working with her lobby group to carry out this awareness creation and community sensitization,

where each member of the group takes up a different top-ic. It has, however, been hard to keep the members commit-

ted and at times she has to give tokens from her own pocket. She has been faced with heavy criticism, that at some point

she was asked by people how she managed to be out cam-paigning; who was at home tending to her chores and responsi-

bilities? Though, she knows the road is tough, she is relentless in her endeavour and is relying on knowledge to be the only way that peo-

ple of Hamisi will elect an issue based leader, whether female or male.

Determined to fight cultural stereotypes and myths, she has embarked on sensitization trainings tar-geted at women and men to empower them and sensitize them on gender roles and the need for women to maximize on the opportunities created by the new Constitution


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At the age of 30, Efiketti dared to vie for Butere Member of Parliament seat in 1983 against male candidates,

among them, one who was considered an icon. It was a taboo for a woman to vie for leadership in this community and more so a woman her age. Against all odds, she cam-paigned and came in third.

When she vied for a position within her party and managed to be elected as the first woman secretary for the South Branch, her morality was questioned. She was accused of having an affair with the chairperson of the party.

During her campaigns, her male compet-itors employed all forms of tactics to intimi-date and demoralize her, to make her give up. She was insulted and told that the community was not interested in electing a woman “who has to bend to go for a short call”. At public rallies, they would arrange for the audience to heckle or even give her the last slot when ev-eryone is tired and after all her male competi-tors had spoken. At such a time, men who were guided by cultural stereotypes that do not respect women would just start leaving the venue one after the other as she spoke.

Being a young woman, who did not have a “name” and with little or no income, she was exposed to very unfair competition as she was not able to give handouts to the community like her male competitors. The community kept asking who she is, but she soldiered on.

She is vying for the seat of Senator of Kakamega and she feels that she will be able to win this time since she is tapping into her popularity and track record as an advocate of the rights of children, having filed over twenty nine cases of defilement and rape

Lopsidedness: campaigns influenced by issues below the belly button

NINECase Study

She is vying for the seat of Senator of Kakamega and she feels that she will be able to win this time since she is tap-ping into her popularity and track record as an advocate of the rights of children, having filed over twenty nine cases of defilement and rape. Now she is a “somebody” and feels she has empowered her community with information and knowledge that will enhance the realization of increased women in leadership.


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TENCase Study Women working against women

Judy has been the treasurer of the Kenya Women Finance Trust (KWFT) for over thirteen years,

and though this was a position where women competed against their fellow women, the hatred and discrimination that women have against each other is untold.

‘I am vying for the position of a county assembly representative for the Navokholo Ward. Like most Kenyan communities, women are not viewed as leaders in my area; hence there is opposition just on the basis of my gender. Being a mother and wife, the support of my family is important in this under-taking; but as my family wishes me well, the political arena in Kenya is known to be a very insecure place to let your loved one out into. The fear that some of my duties will suffer is also a concern to my family and friends due to the nature of

‘The use of lobby groups to mobilize votes is the strategy that I am engaging,

through which I am de-veloping a cell system

where every member of the lobby group mobi-

lizes at least ten people from their village who in turn mobilize anoth-er ten who mobilize

another ten.

political engagements, i.e. time, finan-cial, material and physical resources.

‘High levels of poverty and unem-ployment among people has forced them to extort money from candi-dates. When we organize seminars, participants do not come to learn but are keen on what’s in it for them. I hear comments like, “give us what belongs to us we go home.”

‘The use of lobby groups to mobilize votes is the strategy that I am engaging, through which I am developing a cell system where every member of the lobby group mobi-lizes at least ten people from their village who in turn mobilize another ten who mobilize another ten. We have given ourselves a target of the number of votes we need to garner from each polling station. I am opti-mistic that this is the most effective way to help me win.’


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Project Name: More than a third

Project Officer (PO): Christine Njeru

Which project areas are involved?

1. Communication2. Time3. Methodology4. Target Audience5. Scope and Content6. Implementation7. Technical assistance8. Sustainability and Audience monitoring

Brief description of the problem

1. Inadequate time per session can result to lower retention and hence less effectiveness in capacity building.

2. Inappropriate choice of audience or small numbers of participants could compromise achievement of the intended impact and the trickle down of information to the community.

3. Lack of participant monitoring at community level may compromise the quality and flow (community sensitization) of information at the community level.

4. inadequate representation from each target community5. lack of consistency in subsequent trainings (New participants are brought on

board at a time when the previous trainees would benefit from continued training)

Brief description of the successes

1. The use of simple but not simplistic language during training and the use of both official languages played a key role in ensuring that participants were kept on board throughout the session.

2. The use of the lobby groups is not only an effective way to create awareness on topical issues to the community but also a strategy for candidates to learn the key issues of the community and also channel their ideologies.

3. Peer learning and exchange programmes play a key role in mentoring and training future leaders.

Lesson learned: How can this problem be avoided in the future or how can the process be improved?

1. Residential/ in house training as opposed to one day trainings would allow for ample time and hence greater retention and more effective capacity building.

2. Widen consultations with opinion leaders and community based organiza-tion at the community level on who to train in their community.

3. Monitoring and evaluation of the project outcomes beyond the training.

Project Concept


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Questionsa) What are some of the challenges/obstacles that women face when entering leadership?b) What strategies can women use to counter these challenges?c) How does poverty affect the clamour for increased numbers of women in leadership?d) What role does culture play in the discrimination of women as leaders?e) What is the role of the male gender in enhancing the realization of gender equality and

affirmative action?


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Christian Partners Development Agency (CPDA)

Waiyaki Way, AACC Building, Ground Floor,Telephone: +254 204 442 838, 444 1994,Email: [email protected],P.O. Box 13968-00800, Nairobi, Kenyawww.cpda.or.ke


testimonial- lesson learnt manual

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