Meeting with the National Women Steering Committee The Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Devolution and Planning Ms.

Anne Waiguru last week hosted women leaders from 25 women organization to discuss issues on gender equality and womens empowerment. The womens organization under the banner of the National Women Steering Committee led by Ms. Daisy Amdany, Chair of the Women political Alliance and Ms. Rukia Subow, Chair of Maendeleo ya Wanawake, presented a memorandum to the Cabinet Secretary containing proposals on UWEZO Fund framework and the National Gender Mainstreaming Machinery. The National Women Steering Committee urged the Ministry of Devolution and Planning to accelerate implementation of outstanding gender policies as reflected in the Beijing Platform for Action, the National Policy on Gender and Development (2000) and the Sessional Paper No. 2 of 2006 on Gender Equality and Development. In response to the Women leaders Memorandum, Ms Waiguru underscored the governments commitment to facilitating women and youth as the backbone of Kenyas economic growth. She explained that the Uwezo Fund would go a long way towards bridging the gap in availability of resources to women and youth at the grassroots. She also urged women organizations that had a track record in training for socio-economic development to apply for the recently advertised tenders to build capacity for the Uwezo Fund. Further, Ms. Waiguru challenged the womens organization to seize the many opportunities in the government to advance gender equality and womens empowerment. Specifically, the Cabinet Secretary urged the women to get involved in linking women to the 30% preferential procurement facility introduced by the Jubilee Government and mobilize women groups to tap into the UWEZO Funds. The National Women Steering Committee pledged to work closely with the Ministry of Devolution and Planning to advance womens rights as outlined in the Constitution. The organizations included Federation for Women Lawyers (FIDA), Center for Rights and Awareness (CREAW), and Caucus for Women Leadership, Action Aid International, Coalition on Violence against Women, National Council of Women of Kenya and Young Women Leadership Institute among others.