12/05/2026
✨ Somewhere a Little Girl Wants to Be You — Be a Mentor ✨
⚖️ Accountability Must Remain — But So Must Fairness
The recent remarks by regarding the young girl reportedly sent for community service in Parliament deserve criticism. Let me state clearly: I do not excuse those remarks in any way. Any statement that undermines the dignity, protection, and wellbeing of a child must be condemned. Children deserve dignity, protection, and responsible leadership.
However, what concerns me as a gender scholar and educator is how quickly criticism of one woman shifts into questioning all women in leadership. We saw this before during the “nose pinching” incident. Suddenly, society begins debating whether women are too emotional, temperamental, or morally unfit for power.
Yet when male leaders err, their failures remain individual. Women, however, continue carrying the burden of representing an entire gender.
👩🏾🏫 What I See in the Classroom
As a teacher of History and Political Science, I see how these narratives shape girls’ perceptions about politics. Many openly tell me, “Politics is dirty.” But something changes when they encounter women leaders.
When I show clips of speaking in Parliament or take students for visits to , and , the girls become curious and inspired. They ask:
“What did she study?”
“How did she become this powerful?”
And the most common statement afterward is:
✨ “I want to be powerful like her.”
Representation matters.
📜 Women Leaders Are Legislating, Not Just Trending
Unfortunately, women politicians are often known more for controversy than contribution, yet women legislators continue shaping important laws and policies in Kenya.
According to the 12th Parliament Scorecard Report by , women parliamentarians sponsored 11 Bills in the National Assembly and 14 out of 44 Bills in the Senate.
Some notable contributions include:
🔹 — Geriatric Bill
🔹 — Assisted Reproductive Technology Bill, 2020
🔹 — Public Services Internship Bill, 2020
🔹 — Sexual Offences Act
🔹 — disability inclusion advocacy
🔹 — ranked among the top five most active MPs in the Mzalendo Trust report
These are not small achievements. These are laws and policies shaping lives daily.
🌱 Somewhere, There Is Always a Girl Watching
That is why women leaders must continue increasing the visibility of their legislative work, policy impact, and service. Feminist movements, media houses, educators, and organizations such as must intentionally amplify these contributions.
Because when society only associates women leaders with scandal, it strengthens resistance against affirmative action and the Two-Thirds Gender Rule. But when girls consistently see women leading, legislating, and influencing policy, leadership becomes imaginable to them too.
