Testimonial- Lesson learnt manual

1
More than
a 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

1
More than
a thirdCase Studies on Women and Leadership
Lessons LearntManual
1

Copyright: Christian Partners Development Agency (CPDA)
Waiyaki Way,AACC Building, Ground Floor,
Telephone: +254 204 442 838, 444 1994,
Email: info@cpda.or.ke,
P.O. Box 13968-00800, Nairobi, Kenya
www.cpda.or.ke
Editing and Production: Community Communication Network
P.O. Box 278 - 00511 Nairobi
Tel: 0722 303040,

3
Foreword
T
his manual presents case studies and lessons learnt from the “More than aThird’ 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 Kirambi
Executive Director, CPDA

4
About the Manual
T
he purpose of the ‘More than aThird’ 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.

5
Being single was a stigma but
not a deterrent for Hellen
H
elen, a single mother of two, is a teacher who holds sever-
al other leadership positions and has been aViceTreasurer
of the Kenya National Union ofTeachers (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!”
5

6
TWO
Pursuit for justice thrust me to leadership
M
y 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.

7
THREE
Case 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.
7

8
FOUR
Case Study
Nocturnal activities are not
feminine, they cost me a seat
J
udith 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.
8

9
FIVE
Case Study
Thumbs up for rare support
from husband
M
uyendo 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.

10
SIX
Case Study
Not just a quest of charm and
beauty, it is tough work winning
A
lice 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.

11
Truth and fairness:
thriving in a society
of false hopes
B
ibiana 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.
SEVEN
Case Study
11

12
EIGHT
Case Study
Road is tough,
but relentlessly,
she matches on
M
argaret,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

13
A
t 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
NINE
Case 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.

14
TEN
Case Study
Women working against women
J
udy has been the treasurer of
the Kenya Women FinanceTrust
(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.’

15
Project Name: More than a third
Project Officer (PO): Christine Njeru
Which project areas are
involved?
1. Communication
2. Time
3. Methodology
4. Target Audience
5. Scope and Content
6. Implementation
7. Technical assistance
8. 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 community
5. 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

16
Questions
a) 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?

18
Christian Partners
Development Agency (CPDA)
Waiyaki Way,AACC Building, Ground Floor,
Telephone: +254 204 442 838, 444 1994,
Email: info@cpda.or.ke,
P.O. Box 13968-00800, Nairobi, Kenya
www.cpda.or.ke

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