Garissa women MCAs have been urged to actively push for legislation that empowered youths and people with disabilities.
They should lobby their male counterparts to pass legislation that is beneficial to disadvantaged members of society, nominated Senator Iman Falhadha said yesterday.
Falhadha said there are enough women in the county assembly to fight for the rights of womenfolk.
Garissa has 50 MCAs, 17 of them nominated women. “That’s a good number that only needs a few like-minded men to push for laws that they deem beneficial not only to women but also to youth and people living with disability,” she said.
The senator spoke in Garissa town when she donated mosquito nets to the nominated MCAs.
Garissa is among counties often cited for dismal performance in oversight and legislation. This has been attributed to low level of education among ward representatives.
Falhadha said
women, youth and the disabled issues require legislation for proper implementation.
She cited the circumcision of women as a major concern to both the government and women who bear the brunt of the outlawed cultural practice.
“I’m working to introduce a legislation in the Senate to compel the Ministry of Health to collaborate with county governments to establish and adequately equip sexual and gender-based violence care units in all public health facilities,” the senator said.
The bill will also provide for free treatment and counselling for victims of sexual and gender-based violence. “We also want the county assembly to formulate laws to reinforce the act that banned FGM,” the senator said.
Last week, Falhadha said failure by chiefs to enforce the law that forbids FGM was to blame for persistence of the practice.
She was among women leaders who spoke during the International Day for Zero Tolerance on Female Genital Mutilation at a Garissa hotel on Thursday.Present was Ijara MP Sophia Abdinoor and Marsabit Woman Representative Naomi Waqo.
They called for the empowerment of the administrators and protection of those who are enforcing the law from intimidation and threats from residents.
According to a 2017 study by Unicef in Garissa and Wajir,96 per cent of Somali girls and women had undergone FGM. In Kenya, FGM prevalence among Somalis stands at 94 per cent, the highest in the country.
“FGM infringes on women and girls’ right to privacy and dignity apart from causing pain and harm,” Sophia said.