Actualise gender inclusion to curb social economic ills— lobby

Central counties have been asked to implement gender equality and women empowerment to counter social economic ills in the region.

County governments have been urged to actualise Sustainable Development Goal 5 through strategic programmes.

A newly constituted Central Women Rights Movement named the ills as the reemergence of illegal groups, teenage pregnancies and school dropouts, alcoholism, drugs and substance abuse. 

In a joint statement read by their spokesperson Betty Muchina, the lobby named other challenges affecting the region as poor uptake of national IDs, youth unemployment, mental health issues and illiteracy.

The women representing 20 rights organisations were mobilised by the Federation of Women Lawyers in the meeting held at FK-Resort in Nyeri on Sunday.

The forum included participants from cross section groups working in the area of Sexual and Gender-based Violence prevention, youth organisations, grassroots movement, human rights defenders and the women business community.

The group called for measures to ensure gender equality such as rapid response to SGBV issues and the establishment of shelters.

They also called for one stop GBV centers in all respective counties through the support of the national government.

They lobby said the youth who have attained the age of 18 should be registered so that they can vote, while civic education should be done continuously.

“Central region county governments should be committed towards advancing the constitutional threshold of two-thirds gender rule in governance and access to quality health care,” they added.

The government should also provide adequate security to all.

“We extend our support to the national and county governments as the Central Women Rights Movement in actualising the SDG 5 by 2022 and the recent presidential commitment to end all forms of gender-based violence and female genital mutilation by 2026.”

SDG 5 is aimed at the prevention and elimination of SGBV against women and girls and strengthening women’s leadership and women’s political participation.

They said FIDA and the group agreed to advance the social and economic rights of women and girls.

FIDA underscored the need to start the movement to undertake a sustained campaign focused on the SDG 5.

The group also underscored its interest in reforms that will result in greater participation and representation of women, in elective and appointive positions of existing governance structures at national and county levels.

(Edited by Bilha Makokha)