Community Research in Environment and Development Initiatives (CREADIS)’s newly launched UNIFEM Gender and Governance Project has received a warm welcome from various communities in Western Kenya.

  The project entitled “Enhancing Women Participation in Decision Making and Access to Service Delivery” is aimed at emphasising the rights of the individual with special focus on vulnerable groups; in this case, women and youth.  The project is also aimed at enhancing women participation in decision making at local levels and actively lobbying for women’s issues, enhancing women access to government services and enhancing women participation in the management of   devolved funds.

The project targets to work in Bungoma South and West Districts in Bumula Division and Sirisia Division, Mt. Elgon District’s Central Division, Mumias District’s Matungu Division and Teso North District’s Amagoro Division.

 Speaking at the project awareness workshop held in Bumula Division recently, Councillor Edwin Murutu said the people of Bumula welcomed the project and would give CREADIS all the support it required during its implementation. Mr. Murutu also said the people of Bumula were longing for CREADIS to start work in the area as soon as possible in order to help eradicate the problem of gender imbalance and hence poverty levels in the area.

“At the moment there is no non-governmental organization working here in Bumula especially in gender and governance issues, so CREADIS has taken a step in the right direction, we need this,” said Mr Murutu. He hoped the project would also lead to the enhancement of knowledge and skills in community members. “In order for this to happen CREADIS has to be given total support by the people of Bumula,” he added.

Also present was the Bumula Division Government Social Worker, Ms. Topister Khaoya who said the project was needed to empower women to participate in leadership in the area. She said though government was doing a good job in addressing issues of gender and governance, its efforts needed to be complemented.

Furthermore, District Social Development Officer for Central and West Bungoma, Mrs. Rosa Ommalia, has described the UNIFEM sponsored gender and governance project as essential and timely in Sirisia because women in the area did not understand their rights and how to fight for them. She said women in the area are not given a chance to work on projects that are meant to benefit them. “They are denied chances and opportunities of making important decisions,” noted Mrs. Ommalia.

 Meanwhile, the Bisunu location chief, Mr. Joseph Soita said the project was necessary because it would also help women in the area to gain access to right information on issues concerning them. “As you know, information is power and once women have access to it we are guaranteed of great change in the right direction,” said Mr. Soita.

He added that the change should start with the women themselves because most of them had a great fear in them most of which was attributed to cultural practices.Mrs. Ommalia however, argued that culture is dynamic and as such had a great chance of being changed drastically.  She said the bad vices in culture can be rooted out in order to pave way for development.“Not everything is bad in our culture practices, but there is need to identify the bad things so that we can progress accordingly,” she said.

Meanwhile, CREADIS Gender and Governance Field Officer Ms. Valary Siema expressed her excitement on the welcome of the project in the areas they intended to implement the project in.

Ms. Siema said she anticipated the project to bring good results for women in the area.

“Women have suffered in so many ways for a long time now and we would like to change this situation for them. It is hoped that the project will raise issues that will help change their attitudes so that they can take up leadership positions and initiate development for their own benefit”, said Ms Siema.