Women's representation improved modestly in 2002, though significant gender gaps persisted. Charity Ngilu, a businesswoman and politician, contested the 2002 election as presidential candidate for the Social Democratic Party, becoming the second woman (after Ngilu in 1997) to seek the presidency. While Ngilu did not win, her candidacy symbolized women's determination to participate in the highest electoral contests. The 2002 election saw approximately 280-350 women candidates contest parliamentary and local races, a continued increase from 1997.
However, women's success rates remained lower than men's. Approximately 8-10 percent of women parliamentary candidates won seats compared to roughly 15-20 percent of male candidates. Women comprised only approximately 5-6 percent of the post-2002 National Assembly, barely improved from pre-2002 levels. The gender gap in Kenyan politics would become a major focus of constitutional reform efforts, eventually culminating in the 2010 Constitution's gender parity requirements.
See Also
Sources
- Tripp, Aili Mari (2015). "Women and Power in Post-Conflict Africa." Cambridge University Press. https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/women-and-power-in-postconflict-africa/
- Kenya Women Lawyers Association (2002). "Women and the 2002 Election in Kenya." Nairobi: FIDA Kenya. https://www.fida.or.ke
- Electoral Commission of Kenya (2003). "The 2002 General Elections in Kenya: Official Results." Nairobi: ECK. https://www.eck.or.ke/public-documents/election-results
- International IDEA (2003). "The 2002 General Elections in Kenya: Findings and Recommendations." https://www.idea.int/publications/catalogue/2002-general-elections-kenya