A lot has been achieved in girl child empowerment but much more needs to be done, National Gender and Equality Commission chairperson Joyce Mutinda has said.
“Many teenage girls have been rescued from early marriages, female genital mutilation and other retrogressive cultural practices that deny the girl the right to education,” Mutinda said.
She spoke at Kamuthe in Fafi sub-county, Garissa, during the International Day of the Girl Child on October 11.
Mutinda stressed the need for more enrolment and retention of girls in schools as they are still disadvantaged compared to the boys.
This year's theme was Girl Force, Unscripted and Unstoppable.
“We are working alongside and supporting all girls to amplify their voices and stand up for their rights,” Mutinda said.
Garissa county Gender chief officer Abdullahi Abdi said early marriages and FGM remain the main challenges forcing many girls out of school.
Abdi said many parents cannot afford school fees due to the high poverty levels.
He urged the national government and other partners in education to allocate more bursary resources to ensure all school-going children get education.
He said sanitary towels should be made available to all teenage schoolgirls so that they don’t miss classes during their menses.
