{"id":1124388,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1124388/?format=json","text_counter":476,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Suba North, ODM","speaker_title":"Hon. (Ms.) Odhiambo-Mabona","speaker":{"id":376,"legal_name":"Millie Grace Akoth Odhiambo Mabona","slug":"millie-odhiambo-mabona"},"content":"During this COVID-19 period, we had a claw back on a lot of women rights. We saw cases of female genital mutilation on the rise; we saw cases of sexual violence and violence against women on the rise. Many of us may forget but as recent as a few months ago we buried an international athlete because of domestic violence. When we want to take away a gender commission that is dedicated to looking at issues like that, it means we are taking the country many years back. Personally, I would be very strongly opposed to the removal of this Commission. When you lump up gender with other issues, it would get the least attention. I sit in the Budget and Appropriations Committee and so many times, we try to push the envelope for this Commission, but we do not get support. A lot of times, even our own colleagues in the Budget and Appropriations Committee do not support budgeting for gender. Now, you can imagine a situation where you already have a commission, but you still have a challenge putting money in the commission. What happens when you do not have a dedicated commission? This would mean that issues of gender will completely disappear. With those very few remarks, I oppose very strongly."}