By Erick Akasa
Child
rights organisation Plan International supported girls across the world to
Stage
a historic “takeover” in observance of the International Day of the Girl. From
Kenya to
Canada,
leading figures in political economic and social spheres stepped aside for
girls to take charge.
By occupying spaces and places where
they are rarely seen or heard, girls are calling on governments to tear down
the barriers that deny thousands of them equal opportunities. The struggle to
achieve equality has been hampered due to unsuccessful vital data that is either
incomplete or missing. The global action pushes to the forefront the need for
making girls and their realities visible.
According to the world gender
inequality statistics, Kenya is ranked 103 out of 169 countries, making it the
66th most unequal country in the world. The inequality is deeply
rooted in the country’s social, historical and economic organisation. This is a
key factor resulting in the lack of access to essential services by the most marginalized
communities, with children bearing the greatest burden.
Speaking at a photographic exhibit
hosted by the Canadian High Commissioner to Kenya in support of the Day, Plan
International Kenya’s Country Director Ms Carol Sherman acknowledged that while
problems relating to the girl child are deeply embedded in societies,
overwhelming support from different stakeholders was on the rise. “There is no
country in the world where girls experience true gender equality. The idea of
the ‘takeover’ is therefore a powerful statement of girls’ power and their
ability to positively contribute to the nation,” said Ms Sherman. The
photographic exhibit showcased challenges and successes of girls across Kenya.
The National Director of Children
Services, Mr Noah Sanganyi set the scene on 4 October when he stepped down for
13 year old Louis. “It was good to have Louis takeover as
Director of Children Services and
hold discussions with staff. A few years from now, I would like her to be the
Director of this organisation. I will follow up on her progress and keep in touch
with her development,” said Mr Sanganyi.
Discrimination results in girls and
women remaining largely invisible in key areas of power and influence. Only 10
out of 152 elected Heads of State worldwide are women, and women head only 14
of 194 governments. Fewer than 4% of CEOs heading the world’s 500 leading corporations
are women. In Kenya, all 47 Governors and 47 elected Senators are men.
Achieving gender equality is one of
the Global Goals that were agreed by world leaders in
2015 and which promise to transform
the world by 2030. Plan International is warning that without an urgent
step-change by governments, this goal, alongside others, cannot be realized.
Dr. Fred Matiangi, Cabinet Secretary for Ministry of Education, Science
and Technology assured girls that the Government is committed to their welfare
and has set aside 400 million
Kenya Shillings to go towards free
sanitary pads for girls program. “This was after Joyce, a 13 year old girl,
asked why sanitary pads cannot be availed to all girls in Kenya for free.
“Last year when I took leadership at
the helm of education ministry, I found that 3000 girls did their national
exams in maternity condition, I don’t want to deal with such kind of statistics again hence we at the
ministry have agreed with the Teachers Service Comission that, If the curlprits
who destroy our girls lives come from our ranks we will deal with them mercilessly
and if they are from outside our ranks in the education sector, we have talked
to the ministry of interior and Coordination of National Government and they
will not go unpunished,”said Matiang’i.
Plan International’s report:
Counting the Invisible, released on 3 October, shows that no credible
statistics exist worldwide that show the real life challenges of girls, such as
how many drop out of school due to early marriage, pregnancy or sexual
violence, or how many girls become mothers under the age of 15.
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