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{
    "id": 799327,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/799327/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 232,
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    "content": "When we invest in women and girls, there is a ripple effect and everybody wins. Women and girls are drivers of development because they run homes, nurture families, work and influence community activities. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, a most important aspect in ensuring empowerment of women is inclusion of men. That is why I have already put it and asked our male counterparts in the Senate to assist us when we bring on board the gender Bill. The Summit laid great emphasis on peace and security that is paramount for survival of humanity. When there is insecurity, women and children normally bear the greatest brunt. In most cases, it is important to include the women in areas where we are talking about security - we are very happy that the Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Defence, Amb. Rachel Omamo. There we are represented, but we still need more women to be brought on board. We realise that when we are recruiting the Kenya Defence Forces or other forces, there is still a lot of discrimination and disparity towards the female gender. Our prayer is that it will be looked into as a matter of urgency. There were a number of other issues that were looked into in some small sessions notable among them was: Sustainable, fast and living today as if it was tomorrow and Labour Market Inclusion powered by digital. The Kenyan Delegation took up the focus on rape. Rape has been used as a weapon of war. In conflict, it is used by those in command as a strategic weapon to humiliate, demoralise and dehumanise the enemy, sow terror and destabilise communities. Recently, there was a notable case in Mombasa where a woman was raped to the extent of losing her life. The UN Security Council Resolution No.1325, recognises rape and violence against women as a crime against humanity. A case in point is the Rwanda Genocide where many women were raped. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, in Kenya during the 2007 post-election violence, many women were raped. The grave concern lies in helping the victims in this case to come out of the trauma and more particularly those who were unfortunate to get pregnant. Normally, children born out of this vice are neglected in the society. It is not the making of the woman. Here we are helping the victim to come out of this trauma, as well as treating those who might have contracted HIV/AIDS. Another important point that was considered is health. I am quite happy that one of the Big Four agenda include universal health, and more importantly, maternal healthcare. I hope this will assist the women and those suffering from HIV/AIDS. At the conclusion of the Summit, the Kenyan delegation made the following observations:- (a) Female parliamentarians have a huge role in influencing the lives of women and girls in the areas of technology, health, peace, reconciliation and education through legislation. (b) The establishment of the Women Political Leaders - African Region Office in Rwanda will go a long way in promoting the women agenda in the continent. (c) The Girl2Child initiative should be replicated in African countries. (d) To close the gender gap, countries need to ensure women are given opportunities in highly skilled employment and play a key role in decision making structures. (d) Policy decisions for female entrepreneurs should be developed to enable women access loans and reduce trade as restrictions. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate"
}