UoN hosted IWD Discourse on Violence Against Women in Politics
As part of activities marking International Women’s Day (IWD) 2026, The, University of Nairobi, hosted a public dialogue on Violence Against Women in Politics (VAWP). The forum brought together scholars, civil society representatives, students, and policy practitioners to examine the growing threats faced by women participating in political leadership and governance.
Organised by the Department of Political Science and Public Administration in collaboration with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA-Kenya) and the Women Students Welfare Association (WOSWA), the dialogue provided a platform for stakeholders to reflect on the challenges women face in political spaces, exploring legal and institutional responses to VAWP, the impact of gendered disinformation, and practical reforms needed ahead of Kenya’s 2027 General Elections to strengthen women’s political participation and inclusive democracy.
Representing the Vice Chancellor, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Human Resource and Administration, Prof. John Mande, underscored the need to address violence against women in politics as a critical democratic issue. He noted that intimidation and harassment of women leaders undermines inclusive governance and discourages women from participating in leadership and decision-making processes. “Violence against women in politics is a democratic deficit which demands deliberate action, as democracy cannot flourish where fear is normalised,” he said. He also stressed the importance of creating safe and inclusive political spaces that enable women to participate fully in decision-making processes noting that institutions such as universities play a critical role in facilitating dialogue, research, and policy discussions aimed at addressing violence against women in leadership.
Virginia Kimathi from the Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA‑Kenya) highlighted that violence remains one of the major barriers preventing women from fully participating in politics. She particularly pointed to the rise of technology-facilitated violence, noting that digital platforms have increasingly become spaces where women leaders and aspirants face harassment, intimidation, and coordinated attacks. She noted that such forms of online abuse are often gendered and are intended to silence women and discourage their participation in political leadership.
Mollen Onyango from the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) emphasised the need to confront the barriers that continue to silence women in political spaces. She noted that incidents of violence against women in politics should not be viewed as isolated or unfortunate occurrences, but rather as manifestations of systemic cultures deeply rooted within political structures and that achieving equality and inclusion requires dismantling systems that hold women back from participating fully in leadership and governance. She further highlighted that International Women’s Day should be a catalyst for concrete action and progress towards creating safer and more inclusive political environments for women.
During the panel discussion, participants addressed questions around creating safer and more inclusive political spaces for women, emphasising the need for gender-responsive risk assessment and mapping to identify areas where women are most vulnerable to harassment and violence. They highlighted that political parties should adopt a unified framework to clearly define unacceptable standards and incorporate these into their election codes of conduct, noting the importance of external observers and clear guidelines with enforceable sanctions to ensure accountability. Affirmative action measures were identified as crucial for increasing women’s political participation, including incentives or recognition for parties that achieve high candidate diversity, and, the need for targeted training, civic education to empower women in politics. Speakers urged the public to document incidents, report cybercrimes promptly as law enforcement often cannot act unless complaints are formally documented and reported.
A recurring theme was that the problem is not a lack of laws, but a lack of values and enforcement within political and social institutions. Panelists stressed that changing political cultures, where violence and harassment are dismissed as unavoidable, requires sustained commitment from political parties, state actors, Civil Society Organis ations, and citizens alike. The discussions reaffirmed the importance of creating safer political environments that enable women to participate fully and meaningfully in leadership and decision-making.
