SPEECH BY HON. DR. NAOMI SHABAN, EGH, MP., MINISTER FOR GENDER, CHILDREN AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT DURING CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY ON 8TH MARCH 2011  AT THE KENYATTA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTER KICC AT 10.00 AM

Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen

I am happy to join you here today during this auspicious occasion to commemorate the 100 years centenary celebrations of the International Women’s Day.

Am delighted to note that we in Kenya together with our development partners are joining the rest of the world to commemorate and celebrate this great day that continues to present opportunities to advance the women’s right in the socio-economic and political development.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The theme of this year’s celebration, “Equal access to education, training, science and technology: Pathway to decent work for women”, could not have come at a more opportune time than now when education for the girl child is top on the agenda. This theme is relevant as we take stock of milestones accredited to women’s hard work and determination. I wish to attribute these achievements to the government for creating an enabling and sustainable environment   to facilitate women’s progress.

In light of the above, the government recognizes that education is the pillar for human development, and has therefore embraced a national education system from pre-primary to tertiary level, with linkages in the provision of basic literacy and vocational training.

Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen,

As the Minister in charge of women affairs in this country, I am happy to be associated with the tremendous achievements women have and continue to make despite numerous challenges.

I wish to acknowledge and salute the women of Kenya who have made remarkable contributions in the socio-economic and political empowerment of women in this country. They include Grace Onyango, Margate Kenyatta, Jane Keino, Phoebe Asiyo, Prof. Julia Ojiambo, Grace Ogot and Prof. Wangari Mathai.I urge women of Kenya to emulate them, as or mentors.

These heroines have laid a foundation upon which the current Kenya women have built their careers in different spheres of national development.
In regard to the above, we now have five female ministers in the Cabinet, and the largest number of female members of Parliament ever. We also have the first female University Chancellor Prof. Mugenda, and one of our own, Lady Justice Joyce Alouch who has been honoured with an appointment as a Judge in the International Criminal Court (ICC). In addition we also have a great number of women in decision making positions in the public and private sectors.
Ladies and gentlemen

Following the Presidential decree on 30% Affirmative Action in the public sector, it is unfortunate most employers are not complying to the decree, hence denying women their rightful positions. In light of the above, I urge all concerned to adhere to the decree.

In monitoring Vision 2030, the Ministry of State for Planning, National Development and Vision 2030, has identified key indicators to track the Medium Term Plan, key is the National Reporting Framework on Gender Monitoring.

If these achievements are anything to go by, then I am here to tell you that women of Kenya have woken-up, determined never to turn back, forge ahead and occupy their space in the national development of this nation and beyond. Women this is the time!

Distinguished Guests
The government and its partners have developed and implemented policies and programmes that seek to economically empower women by addressing gender inequality and impediments on education for the girl child. The government has established WOMEN Enterprise fund to facilitate women’s access to credit and empower them economically, Social protection fund which seeks to support vulnerable and poor women.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In education and training the government recognizes that Education is a key pillar for human development. Kenya has, therefore, embraced a national education system which starts from preprimary, primary, secondary, tertiary and university with linkages in the provision of basic literacy and vocational training. Free primary education has contributed to increase in school enrollment and retention.

In an effort to increase number of women in decision of position making in, the President issues a directive in 2009 that 30 percent of all appointments, recruitments and promotion in the public service be reserved for women. This has since been entrenched in the new Constitution.

I wish to thank His Excellency the President, for this directive has seen an increase of women in key decision making positions in elective and appointments. A number of key public instructions are headed by women. However, this decree has not been fully realized, it thus impetrative that employers adhere to the decree.

Distinguished Guests,

As regards the new Constitution, may l reiterate some of the gains for women in the new dispensation which is a commitment by the government towards the promotion of gender equity and women’s empowerment.  The gains include:-

• The establishment of the Kenya national human rights and Equality Commission as a Constitutional Office, the provision for establishment of several commissions including the Gender Commission as stand alone  commissions ( successor commission)
• Women representation  
• Equality and freedom from discrimination
• Land Policies, that seeks to address  previous injustices and specifically issues of gender and property rights
• Dual citizenship Article on Citizenship14 and 16, now seeks to confer/ donate citizenship to foreign husbands and children of the Kenya women, among others.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In an endeavour to reduce incidences of Gender, Based Violence, the government is in the process of enacting Family Protection Bill that seeks to address domestic violence and its adverse effect in the family units, and particularly the victims who are mainly women and children.

I urge fellow parliamentarians to pass the pending family Bills to protect the rights and welfare of women; the Bills are the Family Protection, Marriage and Matrimonial Property Bills of 2009

Ladies and Gentlemen:
In an endeavour to discard harmful and retrogressive cultural practices, such as like female genital mitigation (FGM) and early marriages the government has developed Policies to accelerate the abandonment of the practice. In light of the above, I urge communities that practice retrogressive cultural practices to discard them and ensure that their children secure equal opportunities.

Distinguished Guests
Kenya launched the African Women’s Decade (2010-2020) under the African Union umbrella, with the main objective is to review and celebrate progress made towards gender equality and women’s empowerment and to articulate concrete actions that should take to accelerate momentum in implementation.

The government is in the process of launching the Africa Women Decade Secretariat that will be hosted in Kenya for next ten years. It has ten thematic areas to be addressed by the member states include, fighting poverty and promoting economic empowerment of women and entrepreneurship, agriculture and food security and health, maternal mortality and HIV and Aids among others

As I conclude, I wish to inform you that today is the culmination of week long programm of activities that was launch at Garissa on 1st March 2011.

With these remarks, Ladies and Gentlemen, I wish to thank the stakeholders and the national and district organizing committees for their effort in the successful hosting of this great day for the women.

Happy Women’s Day

Thank you and God bless