African women shaping democracy

Women are the source and cause of democracy in Africa. Inclusive democracy centres the needs of all people, and women take the mantle as a powerful group in society. I stand in solidarity with women in other African countries in our push to make our voices heard. I come from the Borana community in Kenya, and I’m working towards the end of harmful practices that undermine women’s rights. My primary goal is to ensure women are equally given space in participation, and decision making at all levels of society and government.

Women in Africa and Nigeria are a strong pillar and active voice in the struggle for democracy in Nigeria and in Africa. They have shown exemplary leadership in civic actions in campaigns such as #NotTooYoungToRun, #EndSARS, #StateofEmergencySGBV, #SexforGrades and more. Women are showing that regardless of the closed spaces and patriarchal configuration of most societies, they remain resilient in challenging the status quo. I’d like to mentor women to believe in limitless possibilities, and to aspire for leadership positions. I believe in the power of organised collective action: I will be more deliberate in my work with women leaders, partners to organise to influence legislative and policy reforms that enable women participation in decision making processes. And finally, I’m investing in telling stories of young women political leaders who are challenging the status quo and providing responsive leadership.

My goal is to ensure that women from grassroot communities can take power, and be in positions where we can influence decisions more so, decisions that affect them directly. We are doing this at Mathare Social Justice Centre by first learning the history of the women who came before us, and documenting their struggles. While women have been at the frontlines, defining and protecting democracy, they are side-lined because we live in a patriarchal society where women’s roles are often flattened to production and reproduction. But at MSJC, we are changing that: 95% of the leadership in our organisation is women. One of our programmes, Dada Talks, educates women on their rights, and encourages them to aspire for leadership at various levels in society so they can be voices for their communities.

As we see more African women in key leadership positions, whether in politics or in their grassroots community work, the world is finally realising the significant role African women have always played in our development on the continent and globally. Inclusive democracy should not be limited to political spaces alone; it should be a whole cultural change in the workplace, the home, education settings etc. I take my presence in any forum seriously because I speak not just for myself, nor am I representing myself alone. When I have opportunities and am on the tables of decision-making, I believe in creating opportunities for others too. This might mean literally taking people along, keeping the door open, or making the environment better for those who will come after me.

Inclusive democracy reacts and responds to the triple questions of Who are the people in a society, place and space? Does the governing system and structure shelter their collective dreams, desires, aspirations and sense of well-being? How? The answers may vary, of course, extending beyond just the addition of women in a governance equation. Once I recognise the value of my role, the power it has to actually influence the course of events, it changes me. Once barriers to conversations and the exchange of ideas are dissolved, anything is possible, including a shared dreaming of representative governance. At Macondo Literary Festival, we highlight women’s roles in histories of Africa, both as protagonists of historical events as well as writers, chronists of these events, both fictional and non-fictional. Our 2023 festival edition, is designed to be a pluralistic, pan-African event focused on imagining futures for Africa and the world. 50% of the visiting artists are women.