The political career of a female politician translation of a female politician's political career

The 24-Year-Old agatsa mbogo is not a revolutionary image, but six months ago, she has done a revolutionary thing: she joined the election of the mayor of nbu, Kenya, and was elected.
Even more surprisingly, Ms. mbogo was elected by a vote from colleagues in the District Council, and all of them were male. The city of nbu is an agricultural region in the northeast of Nairobi. It takes two hours to drive from Nairobi. In Kenya and Africa as a whole, women's political power is growing. Mbogo has become a sign of this power for thousands of women living here.
In 1992, Ms. mbogo began to pursue her political dream. She ran for a Council member in nbu. Like other African women planning to enter politics, she faces many obstacles: Her lack of money; her lack of political experience; and she wants to answer many absurd questions about her personal life. She said: "My opponent insisted that I would marry someone from other cities and will soon move away. "
Mbogo also faces many misunderstandings about women in the city. Many of them initially did not want to vote for her. She became the messenger for defending women's political rights and gave a speech to women's groups. She would carry her handbag, give a speech from house to house, and explain the government to them. It would be several hours.
"I'm glad that she won because men elected her," said Lidia quimani, a farmer political activist in nbu. "This is the response to my prayers, because it seems to have overcome the idea that women cannot be leaders. "
Education for African women has become a top priority for political activists. One agency has held more than a dozen seminars in rural Kenya to help women understand the national Constitution and the democratic political system. Program And theory. A senior female political activist says many women do not have the most basic knowledge about politics. She said they only know who "gives you half a kilo of flour, 200 grams of salt or a loaf of bread" during the campaign and they will vote for who they choose.
Women political activists say they are fighting deep-rooted cultural traditions. These traditions require African women to cook, clean, take care of children, plant crops, collect crops, and support husbands. They generally cannot inherit the land, divorce their husbands, financial management, or politics.
However, it is not a new phenomenon for women in Kenya to engage in political activities. In the struggle for independence in 1950s, Kenyan women often secretly provided troops with weapons and monitored the positions of the colonial army. However, after independence, leaders fear losing their power to exclude women from politics. This phenomenon is everywhere on the African continent.
Today, men are still dominant. Women in Kenya account for 60% of the voters, but only 3% of the seats in the National Assembly. No Kenyan woman has ever held a cabinet position.
In this context, agisa mbogo began her political career. After winning a seat in the City Council, she refused to join the Council for education and social services, which she was called the "Women's Committee" by her colleagues, and joined the City Planning Committee. This is a more conspicuous job.
Last year, she decided to challenge the mayor of nbu, a senior politician. Ms. mbogo said she was disappointed by the fact that groups that provided significant donations to rural Kenya were "unwilling to come here.
"We didn't see anyone Community "She said. "This is a scandal, and the donor's money seems to have fallen into his pocket. "
After a fierce campaign, she was elected 7 to 6. She said women in the city of nbu were excited, while men were puzzled and even hostile. She recalled that men asked: how do men choose a woman?
However, Ms. mbogo was not attacked as other female politicians did. Some people say that the supporters of female politicians are sometimes attacked by sticks after the rally. On last June, Kenya police attempted to disperse a political gathering of women in northwestern Nairobi, insisting that it was illegal and may cause riots. Witnesses reported that there were 100 women, including a member of the National Assembly. They refused to leave, so the police officers pulled their banners and punched them out.
On the contrary, Ms. mbogo is often welcomed by men in the city of nbu, and many people say that it is a pleasure for the Council to pick her up.
Today, donor groups have officially provided funding for several projects in the city of nbu. A new market is being built in the city center. The hospital has a new 200-bed data center. A group dormitory is built for dozens of stray streets and homeless children. Ms. mbogo is particularly proud of this market and hospital because "they have a great impact on women ".
In the current market, hundreds of people sell fruits and vegetables at the bottom of their umbrellas. A lemon-selling woman said she liked the new mayor.
"I feel that if something goes wrong, I can go to her office to find her," she said. "The old mayor called for a drink. He seemed to be an emperor. He didn't want to hear about me. "
Next to him, a man said he had noticed that Ms mbogo had brought about a fresh change. "I'm tired of men," he said, looking at his pile of onions. "They only promise, but there is nothing practical. As long as she keeps bringing what we need, she can. "