- Journalists for Human Rights project manager Sammy Muraya said when it comes to dealing with the rights of girls and women, the rights need to be fronted.
- Even as the world marked the day, Muraya encouraged teenage girls to ensure they go back to school saying having a child is not the end of life.
Image: PCS
It's time we force people to say what we have been discussing in private; these were the opening remarks of Martin Lunalo, the Nakuru Reproductive Health Network chairperson as the world marked International Day of the Girl Child on Wednesday.
The event held at the Canadian Embassy, Nairobi, is commemorated every year on October 11.
Held in partnership with Journalists for Human Rights, the day focuses on the importance of girls' education, their rights and promoting gender equality.
Lunalo said that as much as it’s important to have these discussions on empowering the girl child, they need to be done in the open, especially from the government side including by politicians coming up with manifestos.
"When we have these discussions, the girls need to take part because it’s not all about menstrual hygiene but how to ensure the girls have access to health care services as a package just like we have institutionalized maternal health care," he said.
"It's very important to ensure that the safety of our women is put into policy frameworks that are attracting resources from the government. If you're talking about menstrual hygiene, then we have resources," Lunalo added.
"That is not a political resource, but our government commitment resource towards women's menstrual hygiene, towards our main women's accessing comprehensive sexual reproductive health services.”
Canadian Embassy’s counsellor of political Affairs to Kenya, Warren Mucci, said the discussion on the rights of girls should also engage men and boys as stakeholders.
This, he said, is an important strategy for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all in the society.
"We must also challenge social norms and gender stereotypes that limit opportunities for women and girls and restrict men and boys to specific roles," Macci said.
"We can also cultivate inclusive attitudes and combat discrimination at work, among friends and on social media."
Gender Expert Winnie Syombua, from Journalists for Human Rights (JHR), said there are robust laws that protect children including girls because now girls can access education and anything else that boys can access.
Syombua said there are so many things that hinder girls from accessing education such as sanitary towels, teenage pregnancies, marginalisation and poverty among other issues.
"It’s a shame that patriarchy has gotten to our places of leadership because I wonder whether we have other countries that legislate on these issues especially access to sanitary towels because it’s a matter that affects girls and women. It’s a shame because I don’t think there is any leader who does not understand that sanitary towels are a basic necessity. I wonder why such a matter needs to be politicised," she said.
"This is one way that patriarchy ensures women don’t get to places of leadership. There is money and budget set aside to ensure women and girls access these necessities but it’s the willingness that is not there. Not that our women politicians are not able to supply these to girls, it's that someone has just sat somewhere and decided it's not important."
The national government under the National Government Affirmative Action Fund is mandated to distribute free sanitary towels to adolescent girls.
The Treasury allocated Sh940 million for sanitary pads.
JHR’s project manager Sammy Muraya said when it comes to dealing with the rights of girls and women, the rights need to be fronted.
"So I think when it comes to government, there is a lot in terms of ensuring that policies that have already been put in place are actualised," Muraya said.
"Let me just say that they're actualised because it's one thing having a lot of policies, it's one thing having the Constitution in place, but then it's another ensuring that those policies are followed."
Even as the world marked the day, Muraya encouraged teenage girls to ensure they go back to school saying having a child is not the end of life.
"And there's a thing about also looking at your future and reminding yourself that you can still become something, you can still become someone, you don't have to lose your educational dream or that dream, that career dream that you have, just because you have a child," he said.
"As a father of two girls, I believe, it is my responsibility to talk to them about contraceptives; I cannot leave that to anybody else. And I think this is a call to all parents out there to remind them that our children at the end of the day are still our children. We have a responsibility to them - to ensure that we impact knowledge in them."
According to data by Unicef, an estimated 15 per cent of young women give birth before reaching the age of 18 years.
Purity Gikunda, the co-founder of Greenland Girls School, said teenage mothers deserve a second chance.
She said her school in Kajiado has around 150 girls who are all teen mothers.
"Girls deserve a world where their aspirations, dreams and rights are valued and protected," she said.