NAIROBI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Low turnout scuppered a vote guaranteeing Kenyan women more seats in parliament on Wednesday, with campaigners saying it was “a dark day” for citizens in the east African nation.

The bill would have reserved one in three seats for women but not enough politicians showed up to vote on the controversial issue, with campaigners citing chauvinism.

The women-led movement of GROOTS Kenya is supporting women candidates – including by providing them with bodyguards and volunteer support in the form of Humphrey Muriuki Ngaine and his ‘male champions’. Hannah O’Neill and Louise Donovan report from Kiambu County.

A study by the United Nations on the issue of social media as implements of violence against women in elections estimated that 95% of aggressive behaviour, harassment, abusive language and denigrating images in online spaces are aimed at women.

It revealed that during the post-election violence in Kenya in 2008 to 2009, persons that were tribalistic and politically partisan used social media to send messages to female politicians, threatening bodily harm, rape and even death.

Women in Africa are not generally found in leadership positions. Research shows that women are not perceived to have the skills, knowledge or social status needed to bring about meaningful change in post-conflict environments.

A new report published by NDI and the Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA Kenya) highlights a number of important political gains made by women during the 2017 general elections.