Garissa Woman Representative Anab Gure said on Monday she will keep pushing for youth and women’s empowerment through the National Government Affirmative Action Fund.
Improving girl’s education is atop her priority list, Gure said in Garissa town while distributing umbrellas to women traders at the Garissa Livestock Market where they sell among others milk and grocery in the hot sun.
Gure said girls in northern Kenya have been disadvantaged in education because of backward social practices like FGM and eary marriages, as well as general prejudice and low status.
“For decades the girl child in this region has been disadvantaged in education. Families would rather educate boys and marry off the girls,” she told the traders and small-scale shopkeepers.
However, Gure said the situation is changing and parents are beginning to appreciate the importance of educating both boys and girls and giving them equal opportunities.
Image: STEPHEN ASTARIKO
“I affirm my commitment to addressing issues affecting our women and the girl child in general in our county. We will empower them to boost their socio-economic activities,” the lawmaker said.
“It cannot be done overnight. Little by little, we can get somewhere.”
The legislator thanked the National Government for building and equipping girls’ schools in the region.
She said women leaders will continue working together to ensure more and more girls are enrolled and make the transition from primary school and beyond.
She said most women, especially in rural areas, have no source of income and are among the poorest.
Gure urged the National Assembly to allocate more funds to women representatives in disadvantaged counties, saying the current allocation in inadequate.
“The funds we get as women reps might not be enough because of the demand, but I will utilise every coin to improve the living standards of our mothers who mostly are breadwinners,” she said.