Use numerical strength to attain gender parity Kenyatta to women

President Uhuru Kenyatta has challenged women to use their numerical strength and voting power to boost gender equity.

The President said women, who constitute over 50 per cent of the country’s population, possess the ability bring about positive change in Kenya.

“Let us all play our individual and collective roles effectively and change our mind sets to ensure that changes of national interest occurred in the country,” President Kenyatta said.

President Kenyatta spoke Thursday at Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi when he opened the Nairobi +30 conference and launched the two-thirds gender principal campaign to facilitate gender equity.

The first world conference on women was held in Mexico in 1975, followed by Denmark in 1980, Kenya in 1985, and China in 1995.

He said since the 1st World Conference on Women held in Mexico, major achievements have been realised in gender equity.

“Women now hold major leadership positions right across this continent.  That advance has been matched by unprecedented economic empowerment,” the President said, adding that more needs to be done, as indicated in the recent review of the implementation of the Beijing Platform of Action.

He said the Constitution imposes a duty on the State to use legislative and other measures, including affirmative action, to realise gender equality, pointing out that within one election cycle in Kenya, women’s representation in Parliament has risen from 9.9 to 25 per cent.

He pointed out that 6 out of the 18 Cabinet Secretaries are female, with portfolios range from Defence, and Devolution and Planning to Foreign Affairs.

At county level, President Kenyatta said women account for 6 per cent of elected members of county assemblies.

Although there is no female Governor, the President said female Deputy Governors make up 19 per cent, while more than a third of County Commissioners are women.

 

Representation in the Judiciary

He further stated that  in the Judiciary, the Deputy Chief Justice and the Chief Registrar of the Judiciary are women, the Supreme Court consists of 28.6 per cent of women, the Court of Appeal consists of 30.8 per cent women while in the High Court 40.7 per cent are women.

“This means that the gender threshold has nearly been met in the senior levels of the Judiciary,” the President said adding that in constitutionally mandated National Commissions, women lead four of the 10 Commissions.

He said his has moved to empower women through the Women Enterprise Fund, Youth Enterprise Development Fund and the UWEZO Fund for women, youth and people with disabilities.

He further noted that the government has introduced a 30 per cent Public Procurement Preference for women, youth and people with disabilities and that more than Ksh 15.6 billion of tender have been allocated since its inception in June 2013.

In his address at the function, Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru said the meeting is taking stock of the road women have travelled since the international conference in Nairobi in 1985.

She said Kenya has made progress in women empowerment from increased enrolments in schools to participation of women in all scopes of development.

Kenya Women Parliamentary Association Chair Cecily Mbarire cited several Kenyan women who have championed women issues, and commended First Lady Margaret Kenyatta’s ‘Beyond Zero’ campaign.

Ambassadors Liu Xianfa (China), Erasmo Roberto Martinez (Mexico) and Lars Bredal (Denmark’s Charge d’ affairs) were also present.

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