How Uhuru has fared on gender parity push
President Uhuru Kenyatta.
What you need to know:
- In 2016, the government unveiled an expanded free maternity care programme dubbed Linda Mama, with free health insurance cover targeting women in slums and rural areas.
- The Jubilee government also in 2018 launched Universal Health Coverage pilot phase dubbed Afya Care, which has benefits for women.
As President Uhuru Kenyatta prepares to leave office in two months, the jury is still out on his contribution to the gender equality push.
Debate is ongoing on the role his Jubilee administration has played in enhancing gender parity in the last 10 years, with the Head of State, however, crediting himself with various milestones.
So, what has the President done to make Kenya achieve gender equality?
We look at programmes his government has initiated to empower women.
Linda Mama
In 2016, the Jubilee administration unveiled a new expanded free maternity care programme dubbed Linda Mama, which entails free health insurance cover targeting women in slums and rural areas.
It is meant for those who cannot afford the NHIF card, which goes for Sh500 a month. It covers pregnancy and expires three months after delivery.
The programme was meant to increase access to skilled delivery services to reduce maternal and infant mortality. It seeks to reach 400,000 underserved women by expanding the network of institutions offering free maternity services beyond the current 2,400 public health facilities.
The aim is to improve access and quality of maternal, newborn and child health care services towards the attainment of Kenya’s Vision 2030 and the Sustainable Development agenda.
The free maternity care programme was first introduced in 2013 after shocking statistics revealed that over 6,000 women were dying every year from preventable causes during pregnancy and childbirth.
During the first year of implementation, it led to a 35 per cent increase in deliveries in public health facilities.
The number of skilled deliveries continues to rise and currently public health facilities are handling over one million deliveries annually.
Waiving of maternity costs has also had a positive economic impact on poor households as they spend their incomes on other family needs and investments.
In 2015, data by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) showed 21 women were dying daily while giving birth.
According to the National Health Insurance Fund, which administers the Linda Mama programme, thousands of women have benefitted since it was launched.
Globally, about 830 women die daily from preventable pregnancy and childbirth-related complications, 99 per cent of which occur in developing countries.
Universal Health Coverage
The Jubilee government also in 2018 launched Universal Health Coverage (UHC) pilot phase dubbed Afya Care, which has benefits for women.
With the UHC card, women in the four pilot counties of Kisumu, Nyeri, Isiolo and Machakos are able to access child and maternal health services.
UHC also includes treatment of HIV and sexually transmitted diseases; improving nutrition of women who conceive, early screening and treatment for non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, mental illnesses.
It also screens cancers for early treatment initiation, rehabilitation and palliative care and treatment of common out-patient and in-patient medical and surgical conditions in public hospitals.
Beyond Zero
First Lady Margaret Kenyatta in 2014 launched the Beyond Zero programme through which she has heightened advocacy efforts aimed at reducing preventable maternal and child deaths.
It has also been vital in elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis.
To achieve this, she donated mobile clinics to every county. The clinics are fitted with three consultation rooms, a laboratory and a pharmacy. In Nairobi, 11 portable clinics were installed in Kibera, Nairobi.
According to data from the Ministry of Health, one in 38 Kenyan women is at risk of dying from childbirth complications such as excessive bleeding or obstructed labour.
At least 6,000 women die from pregnancy-related complications in the country yearly, way above the global average.
Under the initiative, there has been a decline in HIV infection among children, for instance, from 12,000 cases in 2013 to 6,600 in 2016.
The number of women delivering without skilled health workers also dropped from 56 per cent in 2013 to 34 per cent in 2016.
Financial empowerment
The Uhuru administration has also been lauded for enhancing allocations to the Women Enterprise Fund (Wef) and establishing Uwezo Fund.
During his administration, Wef has disbursed Sh10 billion to women and youth groups across the country. Uwezo has, on the other hand, disbursed Sh6.9 billion to women and youth groups.
Since inception Wef has disbursed more than Sh19 billion to self-help groups, benefitting 1.2 million women.
SGBV war
The president has also been at the forefront of advocating the elimination of female genital mutilation (FGM), teenage pregnancy and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).
Mr Kenyatta in 2019 issued a presidential directive requiring state agencies and non-state actors to collaborate and eliminate FGM by December this year.
In July 2020, he ordered the National Crime Research Centre to immediately launch a probe into the rise of teenage pregnancies and SGBV.
Last year during the Gender Equality Forum in Paris, France, the President committed that Kenya would support the fight against SGBV.
Kenya committed to fully enforcing SGBV laws and policies by adopting an indicator in the government performance contracting framework to track duty-bearers’ accountability on enforcement and implementation of laws and policies by this year.
Mr Kenyatta added the country will ratify and implement the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 190 on eliminating GBV and harassment in the world of work by 2026.
Support services
The government will further integrate anti-GBV services, including medical, legal and psychological support, into the essential minimum package of the UHC by this year.
He revealed the National Police Service had launched an integrated response to SGBV, commonly known as Policare, to be scaled up to include recovery centres and shelters in all 47 counties by 2026.
Public Service and Gender Cabinet Secretary Margaret Kobia, in a statement, lauded the President for his great milestones on women's economic empowerment through Affirmative Action Funds.
“The President has been a champion of gender equality and women empowerment during his tenure. He made history by appointing seven women to his Cabinet, which accounts for 30 per cent. We are grateful to the President for ensuring that women have a voice,” said Prof Kobia.
