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| Gender Minister lauds Kenya`s progress on Affirmative action |
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Kenya has continued to embrace affirmative action since the 30% presidential decree in 2006.Speaking at the GGP III re launch, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Development, Honorable Esther Murugi, gave a history of how far women have come through affirmative action. “Attempts have been made to increase the participation of women in senior and middle level policy formulation and implementation processes, both within the local and national governance structures”, said the Minister.She began by reiterating that the government has been implementing the 30% presidential directive on affirmative action. The directive that was given in 2006 was intended to create equity in employment of men and women and promotion to senior positions in the public sector. She said that since this decree the contribution of women in governance and leadership has increased gradually. Highlighting areas in which the contribution of women has increased, she mentioned the Women Enterprise Fund (WEF) which was set up in 2007 to facilitate women’s access to microfinance credit and other financial services. This fund was set up to address poverty and to empower women economically.Emphasizing that education is the key to success, she mentioned that a gender policy on education had been developed to address central issues related to gender and education. The policy provides a roadmap to the Ministry of Education and stakeholders towards the achievement of gender parity. It aims at ensuring that boys and girls, women and men participate equally in the learning and management of education at all levels. Also, the provision of free primary and secondary education by the government has increased the rate of transition of girls from primary schools to secondary schools. During the current reporting period, the rate of transition steadily increased from 40.2% in 2005 to 50% in 2008. The government has also through parliament passed legislations to address gender based violence and human rights concerns through the Sexual Offences Act and the Witness Protection Act. “These legislations go a long way in safeguarding the rights of women in our society”, she said. Honorable Murugi admitted that although there are huge disparities in appointments at different levels of government, and there is need for women to stand up as one and seek recognition of their right to equal participation in governance. Kenyan women are encouraged to vote for the proposed draft constitution at the referendum as it has entrenched numerous gains for women. She also reiterated that the government remains committed to supporting initiatives like the Gender Governance Programme(GGP) which seek to realize the achievement of gender equality and increase women’s participation in leadership and decision making positions. Affirmative action is a deliberate policy or programme that seeks to remedy past discrimination by increasing the chances of the affected to participate in what they were previously denied. The object of affirmative action otherwise known as positive discrimination – action otherwise known as positive discrimination – is to enhance the participation of marginalized groups in decision making and implementation and make a difference in the political climate and culture.
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