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{
    "id": 542895,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/542895/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 329,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Ombaka",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1007,
        "legal_name": "Christine Oduor Ombaka",
        "slug": "christine-oduor-ombaka"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for this opportunity. I rise to support the adoption of this Report on the Pan-African Parliament (PAP). The issues that are raised and discussed at PAP are quite relevant to our everyday situation in Africa. This is because for years, Africa has been viewed as a dark continent, a continent that is infested with wars, conflicts, diseases and illiteracy to the extent that we never had an image across the world. This PAP is likely to salvage the African image to be more positive than it has never been seen. However, we still need to dissect issues that have been raised in a deeper sense. I listened to hon. Millie mentioning issues of insecurity, mainstreaming disability, problems of unemployment and so on and so forth but I did not hear mainstreaming gender yet gender is a problem on the whole of the African continent. It is even more painful in the Islamic areas. It is only last night when I was watching a programme on Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) on maternal health. They picked some sections in Sudan and mainly Islamic countries where Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is practiced; child birth becomes complicated and many women die. In terms of health for women, I do not know whether this is being highlighted. It is a huge problem in the whole of Africa, particularly in the regions that practise FGM. It was tear-dropping. I cried all through watching it because it is a very painful experience. The African continent should address it in their parliament so that the health of women can be improved. I also feel that if you do not mainstream gender into the legislative agenda, we are going to miss the boat. This is the best opportunity to address some of these problems that affect women because of our harmful cultural practices. There are a lot of early marriages. The Boko Haram is part of that gender problem. We still have a lot of violence in Africa. Even though we are talking about peace, violence is still coming in different corners. Just yesterday, you realised the reports about xenophobia in South Africa (SA). They are chasing away fellow Africans because they are taking jobs there. This is degenerating into violence. Terrorism is not going to go away so soon. We need to be serious with these issues and the kind of violence that come in different forms. Violence comes as a result of failed elections across Africa, ethnicity, xenophobia and so on and so forth. We still need to address that and PAP must capture this so that the whole of Africa can streamline peace in whatever we do and in every aspect of development. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}