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{
    "id": 34584,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/34584/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 374,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Prof. Olweny",
    "speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Education",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 122,
        "legal_name": "Patrick Ayiecho Olweny",
        "slug": "patrick-olweny"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am here to give the Ministry’s position on this important matter. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, from the word go, I want to tell the House that, in principle, the Ministry supports this Motion. I remember the days when I was young and in primary school. The older boys were harassing girls especially when they were in their periods. I know that the situation might not have changed today, but that should be a thing of the past. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the overall function of the Ministry of Education is to provide equal access to education to both girls and boys, irrespective of their socio-economic status. This is in recognition of the fact that education has a critical role to play in addressing issues of gender equity and equality in this country. This is in pursuit of the Government’s commitment to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and education for all. For girls, the greatest challenge is absenteeism related to their reproductive health issues. Targeted interventions are, therefore, required to address the needs of over two million menstruating girls in our schools. One of such interventions is the provision of sanitary towels for adolescent girls in public primary and secondary schools. To mitigate on this gender related concern, the Ministry has established a gender desk in the Directorate of Policy, Partnership and Community Affairs. So, we already have a facility that takes care of this. Among the responsibilities of the desk is to promote hygiene and sanitation aimed at improving access, retention, transition and completion of girls education. The Ministry of Education, through the gender desk officer, has in the past four years partnered with Proctor and Gamble, the Girl-Child Network and Education for Marginalized Children of Kenya to provide free sanitary towels to over 20,645 girls from poor families in 136 primary schools."
}