Women face many obstacles in Kenya that make their lives very difficult and especially difficult to get an education. The women face specific gender division from men, violence, female genital mutilation, HIV and AIDS, and obstacles while on the campaign trail. In Kenya, women are expected to become mothers. They are also expected to cook, clean, and be submissive to their husbands. Men there do not carry anything; instead women are commonly seen hauling lumber and such because it is considered a feminine task.
It is a man’s job though to own land. Only six percent of titles held in Kenya are by women. It is not likely to even see a woman inherit land; instead when her husband dies she may become homeless. Another example that the Kenyans feel strongly about strict gender division is felt strongly about is the incidence of men stripping several women for wearing pants. Violent acts toward women are a common occurrence in Kenya. Rape is not taken seriously there. There is no DNA testing therefore rapists are rarely convicted.
In the case that a woman becomes pregnant when single, they are (austrosized)That’s the word the lady used. If the woman is a student, she is forced out of the dormitory and sent to live in a nearby slum with little aid in resources. This usually causes the single mother to drop out. Abortion is the answer some women find. Abortion however is strongly (frowned upon)What word can replace that? and also illegal in Kenya, but it is still a common occurrence. To prevent premarital sex, some tribes still practice female genital mutilation.
This procedure is done without anesthesia and with what ever tool is available, even if it is a piece of broken glass, or a dull razor. The woman’s remaining parts are then sewn together for their husband to open on their wedding night. There has been cases when anxious men were in a hurry and not gentle enough on their wives’ stiches, causing them to bleed to death. Another obstacle that faces Kenyans everyday is HIV and AIDS. Several hundred people die each day from AIDS in Kenya alone.
Approximately fifteen percent of all Kenyans that are age fifteen to forty-nine are infected. Thus, the life expectancy in Kenya is low. In many cases this affects the women because they are taken out of school to care for their ailing relatives. Lastly, when a woman is running for office she is constantly criticized by men. Many men express their opinion that a woman should not rule them. She may also be told that she should be cooking instead, and that her husband will starve. Some women are even stoned.
When acts of violence occur however, the police are slow to respond. Despite the troubles women face in Kenya, there has been positive change taking place. The fact that things are no longer going unnoticed is a positive step in itself. Women seek advancement in beauty contests and in politics. It is recognized that the campaign trail is rough for women, thus there has been some appointed women officials. Celebrations called “homecomings” take place when great things happen; one such celebration occurred for a woman who was appointed to Parliament.
