The Anti-Female Genital Mutilation Board has been accused of not doing enough to end the vice in the country.
A group of activists from Migori County has claimed that since its formation, the board which has been headed by Mrs. Jebii Kilimo and now Mrs. Agnes Pareyo,is yet to have its mandate and vision felt by all women in the country.
Ruth Onyango, the region’s representative of Pan-African Women’s Association in Norway (PAWA) said the board’s mandate should be devolved in all 47 counties in the country.
“The board’s mandate is not known by women it represents and since its formation nothing tangible has come out of its existence,” she said.
Onyango blamed the board’s laxity in fighting violence meted on women and especially FGM in Kuria region, adding that although it has been spending millions of shillings in its programmes, no dividend has been earned in regard to the vices facing women.
She also blamed elected and nominated women in the national, Senate and County governments of neglecting their fight in support of women agenda.
The activist said the desire of the new constitution to help boost women agenda have failed as women in the law making houses have not lived to the struggle for women agenda.
“Most women leaders have not lived up to the spirit of serving women and girls’ agenda but have joined their male counterparts in degenerating women,” she said. “This,” she observed, “has created a vacuum in implementation of the women agenda.”
Onyango made the remarks in Migori town yesterday during a workshop on Gender Based Violence, where the County of Migori was cited as being in the top ten regions in Kenya where women’s are highly violated.
By George Agimba
