Kenya commits to achieving gender equality by 2030

What you need to know:

  • Government representatives at UN meeting promise to take action to improve the status of women.
  • Devolution CS says implementation of the Beijing Platform of Action is on track.
  • The minister also cited the government's public procurement affirmative action‎ policy for women, the youth and disabled, which was applauded here.

NEW YORK

Kenya is among a number of world governments that have committed themselves in a declaration to achieve gender equality by 2030.

At the meeting of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, government representatives promised to take six concrete actions to ensure gender equality and improve the status of women.

Devolution and Planning Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru, who is representing the government and also heads the delegation to the meeting which opened at the UN headquarters on Monday, spoke of Kenya's "unwavering political will and conviction'' for the advancement of women.

She told the meeting that Kenya's implementation of the Beijing Platform of Action was on track.

The Platform for Action was a detailed commitment endorsed by 189 countries, Kenya included, to achieve gender equality.

The endorsement was done at the fourth world conference on women in Beijing, China, in 1995.

In her address, Ms Waiguru singled out Kenya's 2010 Constitution, Vision 2030 and the Jubilee Administration policies as being in line with the 12 key issues of concern in the Beijing declaration.

"I affirm the government of Kenya's commitment to gender equality, empowerment of women and in particular, the implementation of the Beijing declaration," she told the conference.

She enumerated steps the government has taken to advance women, girls and the youth as well as special interest groups.

To finance business opportunities for women, she singled out the Women, Youth Enterprise and the Uwezo funds.

The minister also cited the government's public procurement affirmative action‎ policy for women, the youth and disabled, which was applauded here.

Under the policy, 30 per cent of public procurement is set aside for these groups.

This, said the minister, translated into about $2.2 billion per year worth of business. Since June 2013, more than 54,000 businesses have been registered under the programme and more than 6,000 companies have already received business from the government in three quarters, she added.

"This is creating real opportunities for businesses to grow from small to medium and from medium to larger companies," she told delegates.

IMPLEMENTATION OF POLICIES

The minister listed successes for girls in both primary ‎and secondary school education following the implementation of the free education policy and removal of tuition fees, respectively.

Further, the introduction of free maternity services in public hospitals has resulted in a 50 per cent increase in hospital deliveries in the country.

First Lady Margaret Kenyatta arrived in New York on Thursday and is scheduled to speak about her Beyond Zero campaign. Mrs Kenyatta is expected to speak at a side event on ‎Friday whose focus will be on maternal and child health and efforts to eliminate mother to child transmission of HIV.

On Tuesday, Mrs Rachel Ruto also gave a presentation about Table Banking; a programme that helps mainly rural women advance themselves economically by saving, accessing cheap loans and finding a market for their produce.

Through her organisation, The Joyful Women, Mrs Ruto, wife of Deputy President William Ruto, hopes to introduce the program to all counties. The organisation also helps women take advantage of the 30 per cent procurement policy.

During her address to the status of women conference which marks the 20 year anniversary of the Beijing commitments, Ms Waiguru also attributed the government's successes in ensuring advancement of women and youth to the commitment of President Uhuru Kenyatta.

‎For instance, women make up 33.3 percent of the Cabinet and they also hold key dockets: Devolution and Planning, Foreign Affairs, Land, Defence, Environment, East African Community and Tourism.

"The President has been in the forefront championing gender equality and empowerment of women. This began with the positioning of institutional mechanisation for the advancement of women within the Presidency, with staff deployed to every ministry and at the county level," she said.

Ms Waiguru said the fact that the President had championed and signed the campaign, dubbed "HeforShe‎", showed his commitment.

He was the second African president to publicly sign and commit to it after President Paul Kagame of Rwanda.

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Some of the key achievements that Devolution and Planning Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru cited at the 59th Commission on Status of Women conference:

Education:

The country has surpassed the 115 primary school enrolment rate following the introduction of free primary education. Girls represent 51 per cent of the enrolment and boys at 49.

Elimination of tuition fees at public secondary schools has increased girls' enrolment by 42 per cent from 685,000 in 2009 to 977,000 in 2013.

Health:

The free maternity services introduced in 2013 have recorded a 50 per cent increase in hospital deliveries from 444,000 in 2012 to 666,000 in 2014‎.

Women in power:

Constitutional requirement that a minimum one third of either gender be represented in all elective positions. In the Cabinet, 33 per cent are women. In Parliament women form 25 per cent of elected legislators up from 9.9 per cent in 2007 while in the public service women comprise 37 per cent of all positions.