Education
Source: Standard Media Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero's wife, Susan, has joined campaigns to fight early pregnancy among school girls and reduce dropout rates.
Backed by Homa Bay Women representative Gladys Wanga and her Nyeri counterpart Priscilla Nyokabi, Mrs Kidero said leaders must develop concerted efforts to promote girls' education.
Speaking at Nyamasare Girls Secondary School in Mbita Constituency during a mentorship programme christened 'Mama County Says', the three expressed concern over the high number of girls who drop out of school due to pregnancies in the Lake Victoria region, especially Homa Bay County.
Wanga urged Homa Bay County leaders to help keep teenage girls in school.
"Empowering a girl is like empowering the whole society. However, I found out that our girls encounter numerous challenges that hamper their education. This is what motivated me to start this mentorship programme," Wanga said.
"Let nobody complain that we are focusing more on girls than boys. The reason behind this is that our girls are more vulnerable to problems that force them to drop out of school," she added.
Mrs Kidero, who was the chief guest, cited lack of role models as one of the obstacles undermining the education of girls in the area. "You are fortunate that Homa Bay County has a mentorship programme, alongside many successful women leaders like former Karachuonyo MP Phoebe Asiyo and many others who can act as your role models. Develop confidence in your studies and take advantage of the role models to enable you to prosper in life," she encouraged the girls.
And Nyokabi challenged women leaders in the country to forget their political differences and empower girls, to increase the number of female leaders in Kenya.
Mentoring
She said there was no way the constitutional requirement of one-third representation of women in leadership could be achieved in Kenya if the education of girls was not encouraged.
"I am a member of the Jubilee coalition but today I am in the CORD's stronghold because we will not have enough future women leaders in this country if we fail to empower these girls. My fellow politicians should put their political differences aside in developing a programmes that are beneficial to all Kenyans," Nyokabi said.
The Mama County Says programme's second summit was also used to put together resources to enhance the mentoring of girls in Homa Bay County. It was attended by thousands of girls from various schools in the county.