State Department for Gender and Affirmative Action PS Anne Wang’ombe has called on women leaders to be at the forefront in fighting for the inclusion of women in politics.
Speaking during the regional dialogue on women's leadership in Africa at a Nairobi hotel, the PS said true leadership calls for building a team and being able to mentor others to keep pushing forward.
“Today’s dialogue comes at an opportune time when we have a favourable political and social environment for the meaningful participation of women and girls in leadership,” she said.
She said the meeting should be the start of a relationship between senior women leaders and their emerging young counterparts.
“We have an opportunity to break the barriers of culture and hierarchical structures, and understand the humanistic experiences of every woman leader,” Wang’ombe said in a speech read on her behalf by Winnie Kananu Meeme, Assistant Director at State Department for Gender and Affirmative Action.
The event brought together a diverse assembly of 45 participants from eight African countries; Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, Senegal, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe.
Present at the event included Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) Africa executive director Martha Muhwezi, Dagoretti North MP Beatrice Elachi, International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IIDEA) programme manager Josephine Mwangi, African Women's Development and Communication Network representative Lilian Ndinda and university student leaders.
FAWE Africa deputy executive director and head of programmes Teresa Omondi-Adeitan emphasised the crucial role of women in leadership in Africa, highlighting Kenya's significant contributions in the arena.
Omondi-Adeitan called on her counterparts to commit to nurturing women’s leadership across the continent through monitoring and action plans.
Elachi delivered an impassioned speech addressing the challenges women face in political spheres. She shared her journey, recounting the obstacles she overcame to achieve her position.
“Every setback is a setup for a comeback,” she said, inspiring many in attendance.
Meeme said stressed the necessity of women in leadership, asserting that their voices are vital in shaping policies that impact millions.
“Women are not just participants; we are change-makers,” she declared.