Kenyatta: Kenya committed to gender equality

Kenyatta: Kenya committed to gender equality

President Uhuru Kenyatta has re-affirmed his government’s commitment to gender quality and women’s empowerment.

The President said that measures have been instituted to ensure women’s equal access and full participation in power structures and decision-making.

Speaking in Johannesburg, South Africa on Sunday night during the high level panel discussion on the 25th AU Summit theme, “Women Empowerment and Development towards Africa’s Agenda 2063”, Kenyatta enumerated the various gains the Government has made in women empowerment in the country.

President Kenyatta added that the government has provided catalytic funds to women through a Women Enterprise Fund, a Youth Enterprise Fund as well as an UWEZO (Ability) Fund, all fully funded by the state.

He says the initiative launched under his watch in 2013 is Kenya’s most ambitious and exciting women economic empowerment initiative adding that the empowerment of women and youth occupies a center stage in policy deliberations and has multiplier effects.

On Women and Health, the President said his Government in 2013 introduced free maternity services in all public hospitals resulting in a nationwide increase in hospital deliveries from 40 per cent to 70 per cent.

 

Addressing sexual and gender based violence

Kenyatta further pointed out that with regard to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGB-V), the launch of National Policy for Prevention and Response to Gender Based Violence and signing into law the Prevention against Domestic Violence Act are part of the President’s commitment to lead from the front in women empowerment.

Dozens of African leaders who attended the summit were in agreement that empowering women and youth was an imperative to accelerate socio-economic progress in the continent.

The African Union Assembly has designated 2015 the year of women empowerment in line with Agenda 2063.

The chairperson of the African Union Commission Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma presented each of the 54 member states with an agricultural tiller to symbolically launch the campaign to popularize the summit theme.

President Kenyatta said Africa stands to gain tremendously from the realm of influence for women in Africa and beyond.

 

By Wangui Ngechu

 

 

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President Uhuru Kenyatta south africa gender equality AU women empowerment summut

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