Prioritise women's economic growth, MYWO tells Ruto
Maendeleo ya Wanawake Chairperson Rahab Mwikali during an interview at her Maendeleo house offices in Nairobi on July 18, 2022.
What you need to know:
- Maendeleo ya Wanawake Organisation wants President William Ruto, who campaigned on the promise of revamping the ailing economy, to begin implementing his economic recovery initiatives.
- They want the government to focus on wealth creation for vulnerable groups such as women and the youth.
- They want Ruto's commitments to be the top priority of his new cabinet.
Women leaders now want the new government to shift focus from politics to women's economic and social development.
Maendeleo ya Wanawake Organisation (MYWO) Chairperson Rahab Mwikali is urging President William Ruto, who campaigned on the promise of revamping the ailing economy, to begin implementing his economic recovery initiatives.
“We would like the government to focus on wealth creation for vulnerable groups such as women and the youth. Women are distressed by the current economic climate,” she said when she spoke to Nation.Africa at Maendeleo House yesterday.
Ms Mwikali noted that creation of Saccos would allow women to borrow at interest-friendly rates, which is vital at this point.
Hustler Fund
“This strategy is more affordable to small-scale business owners such as kiosks and ‘mama mboga’,’’ she said.
One of the key commitments by the Kenya Kwanza camp was to provide financial and capacity building support through the Hustler Fund.
Additionally, President Ruto promised to work with women-led co-operative societies, chamas, merry-go-rounds and table banking initiatives and protect them from predatory interest rates charged by unscrupulous money lenders.
MYWO now wants these commitments to be the top priority of his new cabinet.
On the fertiliser subsidy, she lauded the President’s recent directive, saying it would benefit a lot of women already working in the agriculture sector.
She, however, believes other women living in arid and semi-arid areas would not profit.
Gender equality
“Going forward, proposed interventions should be tailored to women’s specific needs in different counties. A woman living in Turkana County does not have arable land to use fertiliser on. A national water harvesting project that would ensure she gets water for irrigation would be more appropriate for that woman,’’ she added.
MYWO’s concerns come amidst the UN Women’s warning that without swift government interventions, economic gender equality would take about 300 years to effect.
According to the UN Women report, by the end of this year, around 383 million women and girls in Sub-Saharan Africa will have insufficient income to meet basic needs such as food, clothing and adequate shelter.
MYWO now looks forward to the cabinet appointments and working with the new officers to champion economic and social issues affecting women and youth.
