Winnie Odinga, daughter to ODM leader Raila Odinga, has assured young women that they will not be left out of
Winnie said
she will address the concerns of girls as a youth representative in Raila's office.
"At the age of 26, I have influenced major political decisions in the country to favour girls despite being undermined in the society," she said.
"I have on several occasions debated with Baba (Raila), [Siaya Senator James] Orengo and [Kisumu Senator Anyang'] Nyong'o for hours just to ensure the concerns of youths and girls are taken care of."
She addressed students who converged at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University to mark the International Day of the Girl Child on Wednesday.
Winnie noted that young women are often left out of decision-making processes ,unlike men, even when they have positive ideas to offer.
"Making sense in the society doesn't (depend) on how old one is, but on being rich in meaningful ideas that can bring change," she said.
Raila's daughter also warned young women against venturing in "socialite lifestyles" saying it would taint their morals.
She urged them to always have strategies and plans for achieving their goals.
She further told them to take up leadership positions while still at school to secure positions in society early enough.
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During the event, four young women and girls were selected to temporarily occupy high-ranking offices in Siaya county as part of a mentorship programme.
Joy Adhiambo of Plan International said the organisation decided to commemorate the day by offering opportunities for people to exercise leadership abilities.
"We decided to accord our girls chances to talk about issues affecting them and take over leadership positions in the county for a few hours," she said.
The four were from Jaramogi university, Nyamira Mixed Primary School, Bondo Township Primary School and Nyamira Girls' Secondary School.
They acted as deputy Vice Chancellor,
Nyamira Girls' principal,
Plan International implementation manager and Speaker of the Siaya county assembly.
Adhiambo said the experience will boost their self-esteem and inspire their peers to seek those offices in future.
The manager explained that the mentorship experience is aimed at preparing the girls to occupy leadership positions, in which critical decisions are made.
The four were part of a group of 11 who had been in a year-long mentorship programme by Plan International.