[{"command":"settings","settings":{"pluralDelimiter":"\u0003","suppressDeprecationErrors":true,"ajaxPageState":{"libraries":"core\/picturefill,entity_embed\/caption,views\/views.ajax,views\/views.module","theme":"hrw_design","theme_token":null},"ajaxTrustedUrl":[],"views":{"ajax_path":"\/views\/ajax","ajaxViews":{"views_dom_id:blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__305639__en":{"view_name":"blog_live_feed","view_display_id":"blog_body_block","view_args":"305639","view_path":"\/blog\/content\/305639","view_base_path":null,"view_dom_id":"blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__305639__en","pager_element":0}}},"user":{"uid":0,"permissionsHash":"0ae5601d8790ff50fca3cf23b9ac9170285f2f75823ebdc8d9cc054bc03a679b"}},"merge":true},{"command":"add_css","data":"\u003Clink rel=\u0022stylesheet\u0022 media=\u0022all\u0022 href=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/css\/css_reI-6YIYy-k9pvxm-gaCRrn5cSrTZRtyAMrp4YXDUJw.css\u0022 \/\u003E\n"},{"command":"add_js","selector":"body","data":[{"src":"\/sites\/default\/files\/js\/js_VkK39bvB4H6LLVemwPFz8QWcUMTFqZ3FFo_LBVv_4vs.js"}]},{"command":"insert","method":"replaceWith","selector":".js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__305639__en","data":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__305639__en\u0022\u003E\n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n\n \u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Cdiv class=\u0022blog-block__content__description rich-text pt-6 mb:pt-10 mx-auto\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EOnce again, marginalized groups in Kenya are being left at the margins of another election cycle.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022embed\u0022 data-type=\u0022image\u0022\u003E\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022embed align-right embedded-entity embedded-entity-type-media embedded-entity-bundle-image embedded-entity-viewmode-embeddable embed--right\u0022\u003E\n \n\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \n \n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\u0022figure figure--expand text-center\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022figure__media relative inline-block mx-auto\u0022\u003E\n \u003Ca href=\u0022\/modal\/32373\u0022 rel=\u0022modal:open\u0022 class=\u0022figure__link\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cimg srcset=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/480w\/public\/multimedia_images_2017\/201706africa_kenyablog_womanvoting.jpg?itok=F-HJdbqz 480w, \/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/embed_xxl\/public\/multimedia_images_2017\/201706africa_kenyablog_womanvoting.jpg?itok=HJRvqp4- 850w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(max-width: 524px) 100px, 500px\u0022 data-responsive-image-style=\u0022embedded_images\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/embed_xxl\/public\/multimedia_images_2017\/201706africa_kenyablog_womanvoting.jpg?itok=HJRvqp4-\u0022 width=\u0022850\u0022 height=\u0022567\u0022 alt=\u0022A Kenyan woman casts her vote at a mock polling station during a pre-election exhibition in Nairobi, Kenya, June 12, 2017. \u0022 loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 typeof=\u0022foaf:Image\u0022 \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022figure__expand absolute block bottom-0 right-0 w-8 h-8 bg-white text-gray-700\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022sr-only\u0022\u003EClick to expand Image\u003C\/span\u003E\n \n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022icon fill-current w-full inline-block\u0022\u003E\n \u003Csvg viewbox=\u00220 0 20 20\u0022 fill=\u0022currentColor\u0022 role=\u0022img\u0022 focusable=\u0022false\u0022 aria-hidden=\u0022true\u0022\u003E\u003Cuse xlink:href=\u0022\/themes\/custom\/hrw_design\/dist\/app-drupal\/assets\/spritemap.svg?cacheBuster=#sprite-expand\u0022\u003E\u003C\/use\u003E\u003C\/svg\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/a\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003Cfigcaption class=\u0022figure__info text-left font-serif text-xs md:text-sm lg:text-base mx-auto text-gray-700 mt-1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022figure__caption\u0022\u003EA Kenyan woman casts her vote at a mock polling station during a pre-election exhibition in Nairobi, Kenya, June 12, 2017.\u00a0\n\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022figure__credit\u0022\u003E\u00a9 2017 Reuters\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EDespite guarantees in Kenya\u2019s Constitution, not enough is being done to ensure that marginalized groups - women, people with disabilities, youth and representatives of smaller communities \u2013 fully participate in the August election.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EAlthough Kenya is socially and politically diverse, ethnic identity is the main basis of political representation. Constituencies or counties roughly correspond to historic homelands of large ethnic groups that tend to dominate politically. This makes it difficult for ethnic minority groups to access political power and defend their socio-political rights.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Kenya Constitution defines marginalized groups in a broad sense that reflects the many ways in which groups have historically been excluded from politics, and prescribes various levels of affirmative action to address that. Women, people with disabilities, youth and representatives of smaller communities are entitled to additional political support in this framework. Kenya has also adopted international treaties protecting the rights of historically marginalized groups, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EBut representatives from rights groups argue that not enough is being done to implement these protections for the upcoming elections. In May 2017, United Disabled Persons of Kenya (UDPK), an umbrella group for people with disabilities, said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.standardmedia.co.ke\/mobile\/article\/2001240566\/iebc-should-ensure-disabled-persons-vote\u0022\u003Eseveral barriers still exist\u003C\/a\u003E to full participation in the election for the estimated six million persons with disabilities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00a0\u201cWe do not have books, for instance, in braille. Even organizations that have taken up voter education tend to forget [people with disabilities].\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.nation.co.ke\/counties\/nakuru\/IEBC-concerned-over-the-disabled\/1183314-3782690-format-xhtml-131mbmy\/index.html\u0022\u003EDavid Towett\u003C\/a\u003E, Central Rift regional coordinator for the Independent Election and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), which oversees elections.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EWomen have also been historically marginalized in Kenyan politics and make up \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/info.mzalendo.com\/women\/\u0022\u003Eonly 21% of the current legislature\u003C\/a\u003E, in breach of the \u201ctwo-thirds gender rule,\u201d which holds that legislative bodies should not be comprised of more than two-thirds of one gender. According to \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/kw.awcfs.org\/article\/all-systems-go-as-almost-2000-women-get-to-the-ballot-paper\/\u0022\u003Esome reports\u003C\/a\u003E, out of the 11,330 candidates in the 2017 election, only 2,077 are women, many of who will be running against each other for positions as women\u2019s representatives.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EAccording to groups like UDPK and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/fidakenya.org\/news\/launch-of-the-fida-kenya-sms-hotline-sema-usikike-to-report-cases-of-violence-against-women-during-the-electioneering-period\/\u0022\u003EFIDA Kenya\u003C\/a\u003E, a leading national women\u2019s rights organization, more needs to be done to ensure full participation. For example, since voting often runs into the night, both women and people with disabilities are reluctant to wait in long lines for security reasons. These fears were borne out during the April primaries, where according to FIDA and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, individuals were subject to \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/knchr.org\/Portals\/0\/PressStatements\/Press%20statement-%20Party%20Nominations%20Launch%20FINAL.pdf?ver=2017-05-15-110141-470\u0022\u003Eintimidation and violence at polling stations\u003C\/a\u003E, including attempted rape. \u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EAt the same time, 32 of the country\u2019s 43 ethnic communities have fewer than 1 million people. Many smaller groups are pastoralists and struggle to access polling stations and election material. In February 2017, representatives from pastoralist communities insisted they \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.the-star.co.ke\/news\/2017\/02\/14\/pastoralists-ask-iebc-to-extend-voter-registration_c1504878\u0022\u003Eneeded more time to register to vote\u003C\/a\u003E, not only because of difficulty in accessing the polls, but because the ongoing drought had pushed voting further down their priority list as people struggled to find food.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EAccording to a 2012 \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/responsibilitytoprotect.org\/Kenya%20report%20Jan12%202011.pdf\u0022\u003EMinority Rights Group International report\u003C\/a\u003E, lack of political power has severe consequences for smaller ethnic groups in Kenya, including the forced eviction of groups from traditional homelands and a reluctance to seek redress from state institutions. This in turn fuels clashes over pasture land and access to water in parts of the country. The under-representation of women and people with disabilities in parliament creates room for the passage of discriminatory laws.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EStructural accommodations for marginalized groups are constitutionally mandated and absolutely necessary for a free and fair election. The IEBC should take specific measures to integrate the needs of such groups, and to protect the right of every Kenyan citizen to participate in the election.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n","settings":null}]