Women MPs blast Gachagua over attacks on female leaders

A group of female lawmakers allied to the Broad-based government have accused former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua of gender-based political violence against women leaders, citing his direct insults towards those who don’t share his political ideology.

Led by Esther Passaris, the Nairobi woman representative, the MPs pointed to a disturbing pattern of gender-based violence, intimidation, and undermining.

“Our concern is the manner in which these disagreements have been expressed, particularly where women leaders, women spouses and women in vulnerable circumstances have been singled out, personally attacked, undermined or drawn into political confrontations,” Ms Passaris said.

“A woman does not surrender her dignity because she enters politics. She does not lose her right to respect because she disagrees with a powerful political leader. She does not become a political target because she is married to a public official, and she does not lose her autonomy because she is a widow,” she added.

Read: Ruto: Why I can't work with Rigathi Gachagua