Turkana endorsed for National Usawa Awards for women's representation and inclusion

Turkana County has been endorsed for the National Usawa Awards for promoting women's representation in influential public offices and including marginalised communities in budget decisions.

National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC) Chairperson  Rehema Dida Jaldesa announced the endorsement during a courtesy call on Deputy Governor Dr John Erus at the county headquarters in Lodwar. She said the county qualified for consideration under the Usawa category on two grounds: the appointment of women to powerful and traditionally male-dominated dockets, including Finance, and the inclusion of marginalised communities in the county budget through affirmative action.

"We must celebrate even the small wins for gender inclusion. The staffing report indicates that the balance is nearly 50-50. A deeper audit shows that women have been given powerful positions, including Finance," she said.

Erus welcomed the recognition, saying it affirmed the county's commitment to inclusive governance, social protection and equitable development. He said the county is deliberately mainstreaming inclusion across its programmes because of the historical marginalisation of communities in the region, and that it believes in merit and recognises the competence of women to hold leadership positions. According to Erus, women make up 44 per cent of the county workforce and men 56 per cent, which brings the county closer to the constitutional two-thirds gender principle.(Education News Kenya — https://educationnews.co.ke/news/turkana-endorsed-for-national-usawa-awards-for-womens-representation-and-inclusion)

The discussions also focused on identifying and documenting marginalised groups so that their needs are reflected in county planning. Ilimanyang, a special interest group, was among those highlighted. The county asked the commission to help identify other marginalised communities and improve their representation in public programmes.

The NGEC is in Turkana for a five-day visit to assess compliance with inclusion requirements covering gender, youth and special interest groups. It also plans to open a regional station in the North Rift offering free legal aid and supporting efforts to end gender-based violence. The commission also addressed technology-facilitated gender-based violence, the high cost of legal aid for survivors, gaps in legal frameworks, public sensitisation on inclusion and areas for future collaboration.

Turkana County Commissioner Julius Kavita called for stronger action against child defilement and other forms of gender-based violence. He directed National Government Administration Officers to deal firmly with perpetrators and urged the community to take collective responsibility for protecting children.

"A prominent 71-year-old man from Kakuma is in prison for defiling a 14-year-old girl," he said.

Kavita also directed chiefs to ensure that girls are not sent to graze livestock at the expense of their education. He warned residents against resolving gender-based violence cases through alternative justice systems and urged them to use established legal channels.

The NGEC delegation included Chairperson Jaldesa, Vice Chairperson Thomas Koyier, EBS, Commissioner Caroline Lentupuru and Commission Secretary and Chief Executive Officer Dr Purity Ngina. County officials present included Deputy County Secretary Joseph Nyang'a, county executive committee members, chief officers and representatives of the Office of the County Attorney and the Office of the Governor.