Contribution of women in political circles, mostly mobilizers and grassroot women leaders, are often overlooked and in some instances plagued with different forms of violence and discrimination.
Badili Africa, a civil society organization based in Nairobi, has premièred the documentary film, The King Makers: Unseen Faces, Unheard Voices, that aims to shine a light on the largely overlooked contributions of grassroots women leaders.
Screened to a rare reception at the Westgate Cinema over the weekend, the documentary hopes to raise awareness on the plight of women political mobilizers while advocating for a stronger, more inclusive and secure civic space as an enabler for grassroots women and political aspirants to engage meaningfully in governance.
According to 2022 research by Badili Africa, grassroots women leaders and political mobilizers experience more violence of different forms, either physical or online in the line of duty as compared to their male counterparts, underscoring the need for increased attention and action to protect women who engage in the political process at all levels.
Speaking during the premier, Bina Maseno, Founder Badili Africa said these attacks present significant barriers to the women’s full participation in politics.
“While existing research has examined violence against political candidates, it largely ignores the essential role of women political mobilizers who are the real behind-the-scenes king makers during election campaigns”, she said.
According to Maseno, despite their critical roles in mobilizing support for candidates, women mobilizers are rarely seen as essential stakeholders in decision-making processes, with the focus typically devoted to political aspirants and election observers during elections.
Honorable Millie Mabona, Member of Parliament Suba North, who was among the audience in the premier decried the harrowing experiences faced by women in the political arena.
“There is a lot of that goes unspoken in political spaces for women, especially for women candidates and grassroots mobilizers, many who go through harrowing experiences including violence, intimidation and even divorce. This documentary attempts to break the silence and commendably gives a voice to many specific issues affecting women political mobilizers since their role is not institutionalized in our political eco-system”, said Hon. Mabona.
Caroline Awuor, a woman political mobilizer from Embakasi Central in Nairobi, popular as ‘Mama Yao’ and who is featured in the documentary believes that it is time politicians instituted the change necessary to improve women political participation in the grassroots by recognizing and giving due respect to women political mobilizers in the country.
“As king makers on the ground, we help to redefine political leadership and public representation in this country. We want change where the politicians and leaders in power today don’t just come to us to benefit from our influence in the grassroots, but also advocate for equal participation and resource for us and all. This is vital if we are to achieve inclusive political participation and strengthen the position of women mobilizers in our democratic processes”, said Awuor.
The King Makers: Unseen Faces, Unheard Voices identifies and documents the various forms violence takes against women political mobilizers in elections.
The documentary exposes gaps in existing protection mechanisms and proposes actionable solutions to prevent violence against politically active women ahead of the 2027 elections, particularly in marginalized communities and informal settlements.
In the audience included the Honourables Millie Mabona, Member of Parliament Suba North, Njeri Maina, the Women Representative Kerugoya, and Waithera Chege, Member County Assembly South B Ward. Others were Amb. Dr. Josephine Ojiambo, of the University of Nairobi and Amb. Caroline Vicini of Sweden among other luminaries in Kenya’s civil society, diplomatic and political spaces.
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