Women's sex strike: G10 press statement

The G10 is a Kenyan national women’s movement currently steered by leading national women’s organisations – COVAW, CAUCUS, CREAW, FIDA-K, TCI, WILDAF, AWC, DTM, YWLI, Maendeleo Ya Wanawake and NCWK.[1] The G10 has cells across the country from the local to the national level. The G10 is driven by its vision of a society where women wield political power, and its mission seeks to connect women's voices and actions to leverage an expanded and redefined political space.

The women of this country are frustrated and most perturbed by the feuds, turns and twists of the coalition government, and particularly the lack of political leadership by its two principals – the president and the prime minister – who have continuously shown the Kenyan people the contempt card. This is demonstrated by their apparent lack of goodwill and commitment to the implementation of the National Accord, culminating in the current impasse in parliament over the leadership of the House Business Committee. While the speaker of the National Assembly effectively temporarily postponed the near constitutional crisis in his decision yesterday, he yet again missed the opportunity to show political leadership and instead chose to run away from his mandate by making a 'safe' decision at a time when the country needs tough, decisive action to move it forward on its reform agenda. The decision by the speaker undermines once more the spirit of the National Accord and instead played towards the gallery of those opposed to the common public good and safety and security of the nation.

This country cannot continue to hang on the brink of paralysis, uncertainty, indecisiveness, bad leadership and decisions conceived to preserve an insecure presidency instead of upholding the safety and security of a whole nation. The women of this country will not tolerate and or allow its political leadership to lead it back onto a slippery journey to the country’s deathbed, violence and absolute chaos! This is a journey oblivious to the realities of the nation at a time when Kenya is under attack from pirates in the east, the greedy and unabashed ambition of our neighbours in the west, Mungiki in the interior, and is faced with the hunger and disease of millions of its citizens and the general hopelessness of the rest of the country. Kenyans understand that the paralysis the nation is suffering through these gaffes and feuds will only guarantee renewed instability, violence, desperation and despair.

To the G10 and the women of Kenya, the above and following are early warning signs of a failed state and the imminent collapse of the grand coalition. The poor and woolly political leadership of the executive has led to:

- Bickering, feuds and uncertainty in the grand coalition government
- The brutal attacks and hacking to death of over 30 Kenyans in Karatina
- The elusive fundamental and stalled reforms under Agenda No. 4 and the lack of commitment towards the implementation of the National Accord and the Reconciliation Act
- The lack of an accountability mechanism to hold to account those implicated in the post-election violence, despite the fact that women suffered most through the sexual violence meted against them, among other ills through displacement and death
- Kenyans' considerable hunger, poverty, insecurity and continued desperation
- The controversy around Migingo Island, a controversy that touches on the sovereignty, space and impotence of the government in handling the issue.

We note with sadness that the fights and tussles around each party's attempts to dominate the other within the coalition inhibit the resolution of the critical issues that we face as a nation. It is also obvious that the two principals have no common vision for this country and have instead sacrificed the public good at the altar of a narrow and selfish agenda. For us women, it is not lost on us that this deadlock could easily lead to the collapse of the coalition. Seeing as it is us who continue to pay the highest price for the failed political leadership during the post-election violence in 2008, we condemn the disharmony and selfishness and demand the following:

- That the two principals respect the people and nation of Kenya by ending forthwith the little power games that undermine the dignity, safety and democratic spaces of our country
- That the president and prime minister give respect, full intent, interpretation and observation to the spirit and letter of the National Accord and reconciliation
- That the two principals show commitment, good faith, and leadership in the implementation of the accord by making the interests of the nation paramount
- A responsive, sensitive and people-driven leadership and coalition government that is decisive, clear about the country’s priorities, willing to sacrifice individual ambition for the greater good of the nation and which represents a force that inspires confidence among the country’s people
- That the reform agenda be fast tracked and given priority over all else
- That Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka step aside and refuse to allow himself be used to defeat the good intentions of the National Accord.

CALL TO ACTION

The G10 will in the next seven days deliver for signature performance contracts to the president and prime minister outlining our expectations as women and as equal shareholders of Kenya. Failure by the two to sign will be seen as confirmation of the presumed lack of commitment, bad faith and contempt for the people of Kenya of these principals.

Indeed, extra ordinary situations call for extra ordinary measures and the G10 call upon the women of Kenya to go on a sex boycott in order to protest against poor and woolly leadership and to demand that the two principals take control and lead this country to its desired destiny. Such a sex boycott is to take place with effect from today – 29 April 2009 – and to continue for the next seven days.

Signed by:

Patricia Nyaundi – executive director, FIDA
Debra Okumu – executive director, Caucus
Carol Angengo – executive director, TCI
Rukia Subow – national chairperson, Maendeleo Ya Wanawake
Faith Kasiva – GMI
Jelioth Karuri – vice chairperson, Maendeleo Ya Wanawake
Ann Njogu – executive director, CREAW
Rosemary Okello – executive director, AWC
Fatma – National Council Women of Kenya
Tabitha Njoroge – executive director, WILDAF
Mary Njeri – executive director, COVAW
Kathambi Kinoti – Young Women Leadership Institute

* Please send comments to [email protected] or comment online at http://www.pambazuka.org/.

NOTES
[1] The Coalition of Violence Against Women (COVAW), CAUCUS for Women Political Leadership (CAUCUS), Centre for Rights Education and Awareness (CREAW), Federation of Women Lawyers Kenya (FIDA-K), Tomorrow’s Child Initiative (TCI), Women in Law and Development (WILDAF), African Women and Child Features (AWC), Development Through Media (DTM), Young Women Leadership Institute (YWLI), Maendeleo Ya Wanawake and the National Council of Women in Kenya (NCWK).