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{
    "id": 1125989,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1125989/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 208,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Seme, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr.) James Nyikal",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 434,
        "legal_name": "James Nyikal",
        "slug": "james-nyikal"
    },
    "content": "the Ministry of Gender and Social Development right down to the districts was truncated so that you had social development officers at the sub-county level; but they did not have a link with structures at the national level. It became very difficult to coordinate them and to have national programmes that are based on same policies, even if there were different applications at different counties. This will provide for that. That link has been missing. If you go to the Ministry of Labour and Social Development, you will find that they cannot get down to the sub-county because that is now a different function, yet their work will be of no consequence absolutely if they do not have a link with the ground. I think this law will provide for that. If you look at the membership in Clause 5, you really find that this will take care of everybody. There is a Sub-County Social Development Officer. You have partners. You have representatives of the deputy county commissioners. You have representatives of development partners. You have registered community levels. Actually, for once, in my view, there is a structure at the community level where groups can find themselves together in putting their ideas, pushing their ideas and achieving what I think we have been missing in our development efforts. If you look at Clause 6, it sets out the functions of these social committees. The most important one is the link with the national Government, support for community mobilisation and participation in setting priorities. Again, when we have been going out, even when we are dealing with the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF), it becomes very difficult to get groups that would want to put an interest. Now that structure is there. I think it will go a long way. It provides something that we have been missing, as a country, now that we have the support funds from the Government—the Uwezo Fund, the Youth Fund and the Women Fund. The support for men has been missing. I am sure the men in your constituency and in all our constituencies always ask: “where is our role here?” We have the Youth Fund for the youth, the Women Fund for women, and the Uwezo Fund for youth and women. What about the men? They also have their groups. If you go to livestock traders and fishermen, they have groups. But we have not made provisions for them to be supported in our development efforts through devolved funds. I am sure that once this law comes into effect and these groups are recognised, there will be adequate and appropriate agitation by men to also get the support they need. This is one reason I said we must retain the National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC), because we are getting to a situation where men now need support from that Commission. With those remarks, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I support this Bill."
}