There is an urgent need to harness collective energy towards taming the challenges posed by Covid-19 and which have slowed down many economic activities associated with women in the country.
Commissioner General in charge of prisons, Wycliffe Ogallo, also highlighted the need to enhance gender equality and promote women’s rights.
He noted that while most women have registered great achievements and have distinguished themselves as heroines in various areas of development, more needs to be done to help them exploit their full potential.
Speaking during a two-day Women’s Conference to mark this year’s International Women’s day at Prisons Staff Training College in Ruiru, Kiambu County; Ogallo maintained that if well supported, women can scale to any level of leadership in the country.
He specifically applauded the appointment of various female officers to the highest positions in the prisons service saying that their dedication will leave memorable foot-marks in the service.
He at the same time acclaimed the government for harnessing women equality as enshrined in the Building Bridges Initiative which he said will accommodate more women in leadership.
His sentiments were echoed by National Youth Service Director General, Matilda Sakwa, who decried that most women across the country have been battling systemic barriers in the struggle to earn a position at the major decision-making table.
Sakwa maintained that women are faced with day in day out challenges in the social, cultural, political, environmental and economic sectors of the society.
During Covid-19, most women, she said, were socially and economically affected after most of them who are breadwinners lost their jobs and closed down their businesses.
Similarly, she decried that scores of young girls were during the pandemic impregnated thereby forcing them into early marriages against their wishes.
She called for entrenchment of gender equality and especially equal treatment of women in as far as their human rights are concerned.