Gender Equity Central to Kenya’s Development Agenda
By Khalifa Hemed
Published September 28, 2019
Gender equality is both enshrined in the Constitution of Kenya where it is also taken as being central to the development of the East African country.
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Speaking during the opening of the 12th Women’s Affairs Ministers Meeting (WAMM) in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, on September 24, President Uhuru Kenyatta said, “Various constitutional, legal and policy frameworks are in place to promote, enforce and monitor equality and nondiscrimination.” In fact, the President said in a speech read on his behalf by Culture Minister Amina Mohamed that the country’s development blueprint, “Kenya Vision 2030, outlines flagship projects for the promotion of gender equality, Inclusive Economic Growth, Prevention and Response to Gender-Based Violence, Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and other harmful practices, Gender Mainstreaming and empowerment of the girl child. More specifically we have embarked on programmes to address challenges in specific areas.”
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He said that Kenya is working with both State and non-state actors with a view to empowering women economically.
While “Financial Commercial institutions have developed tailor-made and customized products for women entrepreneurs,” the President said, “My Government has continued to strengthen affirmative funds that issue low interest capital funding to enterprises owned by women, youth and people with disability. Our Social Protection Cash Transfer schemes have benefited many women thus spurring household incomes, micro enterprises, and economic growth and given the beneficiaries a life of dignity and respect.”
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On education, Kenyatta said Kenya “has introduced a programme to ensure 100% transition from primary to secondary school” which has led to what he terms as more than “90% of all students proceeding from primary to secondary education through full government sponsorship.”
He said women representation in Parliament has has reached 25% and that his government “is relentless in ensuring the not more than two thirds constitutional gender principle is achieved.”
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The President said Kenya has introduced a maternal health programme dubbed “Linda Mama” (Protect the Mother) for pregnant women and infants.
“We have also expanded specific health services for women and girls including sexual and reproductive health services, mental and maternal health and HIV services. These interventions have borne fruit and increased life expectancy at birth from 60.28 ten years ago to 67.3 years in 2018,” Kenyatta said in a meeting graced by Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland, HRH Sophie the Countess of Wessex, United Nations Population Fund Executive Director Natalia Kanem and more than 50 women’s affairs ministers and senior officials from more than 30 Commonwealth member countries.
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