Passage of family laws in Kenya’s national assembly (11th parliament - 2013 to 2017): the impact of women legislators

Abstract

ABSTRACT Women legislators prioritised and contributed to getting three family Bills passed in Kenya’s National Assembly 2013–2017. This was the first National Assembly in the country to benefit from gender quotas which increased the proportion of women in it from 7.62% in 2007 to 19.5% in 2013. This article examines the history of the family Bills and why women prioritised and supported them. It builds on global evidence that women legislators tend to focus on laws and policies addressing gender equality and social welfare issues. The research data is from a descriptive study of Kenya’s National Assembly 2013–2017 for a PhD thesis. The article establishes that women had a vested interest in and unanimously supported the family Bills, the passage of which mark a significant step towards addressing gender-based discrimination. This finding coheres with literature on women as critical actors to create policy change in line with the Critical Mass Theory. The article recommends that women legislators should initiate action to have existing laws amended so as to comprehensively address women’s rights. It further proposes that women should be represented in the most influential and strategic committees of the legislature.