This archive report was first published on 2 November 2021.
On November 2, 2021, the United Nations Women in Kenya launched a project to support female leaders in the country, backed by a Ksh556 million (USD5 million) fund from the Canadian government.
The project aims to strengthen the capacities of female would-be leaders and engage influencers such as the mainstream media, political parties, and voters to support more female political representation.
One of the key initiatives of the project is to air a second season of the 'Ms President' reality TV show, which will challenge social norms and stereotypes that exclude women from leadership.
The 2022 programme is set to reach at least 3.5 million viewers through broadcast and digital platforms, with the analysis of the reach used to analyze the reception among women and the preparation to take up leadership roles.
Speaking during the event, UN Women Kenyan Representative Anna Mutavati encouraged women to take up leadership positions in the upcoming 2022 General Election.
"We need to have more women, especially young women, take up leadership positions. Step up and be counted. Kenya leads in a lot of aspects on the continent except women leadership. This needs to change," she stated.
Chief Administrative Secretary, Ministry of Public Service, Gender, Senior Citizens Affairs and Special Programmes Rachel Shebesh noted that 21 counties have attracted female lawmakers who are set to vie for gubernatorial positions.
"We have strong women vying for gubernatorial positions in 21 counties, the list keeps growing ahead of 2022, we're fully behind them," Shebesh remarked.
