Machakos County Secretary and Head of Public Service Dr. Ndambuki Muya has hailed women for the transformative role they play in the county.
Speaking at the Machakos Convention Center during the International Women’s Day fetes, Dr. Muya commended women leaders in the county led by Governor Wavinya Ndeti for their unity, leadership, and their significant role in driving progress within the county.
Muya noted that women are known for being development-conscious and have through collaborative initiatives like women groups come up with innovative solutions that mentor the young generation.
He however acknowledged that despite the vital role women play in society, they still face numerous challenges such as gender-based violence, cyber-bullying and discrimination by men when seeking political seats.
“This day is to celebrate women and encourage them to keep on fighting for their rights and to mentor young women to emulate them in the future,” said Dr Muya, adding that women are reliable pillars in the community for the social and economic role they play.
Dr Muya noted that in line with the International Women’s Day theme “Invest in Women: accelerate progress,” the county gave 238 bursaries to special needs students to continue with their education unhindered.
The special needs students drawn from primary, secondary, and vocational training schools within Machakos County were awarded bursaries that will cater fully to their education throughout their stay in school to celebrate Women’s Day.
Dr. Muia highlighted that the facilitation of these bursaries underscores the administration’s commitment to inclusive education for all.
He pointed out that the bursary distribution not only celebrated the achievements of women but also extended support to physically disabled students to achieve their future dreams.
Winfred Kendi, the Project Officer at Plan International Machakos, urged women to embrace the theme of the year, “Invest in Women, Accelerate Progress,” by investing in their development.
Addressing the issue of early pregnancies among teenage girls, Kendi emphasized the importance of providing life skills and vocational training to ensure a brighter future for affected girls.
“We as Plan International, work with different government ministries where we gather teenage girls who have gotten pregnant and give them life skills, psycho-social support and reproductive health rights from the Ministry of Health,” said Kendi while encouraging victims of teenage pregnancies to pursue their dream without relenting.
International Women’s Day is a day to honor the achievements of women throughout history and to continue to fight for gender equality.
By Sylvester Musyoki and Anne Kangero
