Nairobi, March 8 (IANS) Kenya on Saturday called for accelerated action to support women’s empowerment and a renewed desire to help women and girls overcome the challenges ahead.
Kenyan Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi said it is crucial to support women’s leadership in peace and security processes by ensuring that their voices are central to conflict resolution and peace-building.
“Women continue to bear the brunt of internal and external conflicts, with violence and marginalization often targeted against them. As the world faces the challenges of conflict, climate change, and social inequality, amplifying women’s voices at the grassroots levels becomes critical,” Mudavadi said in a statement issued in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi to mark International Women’s Day.
Mudavadi said it is high time that society underscored the growing recognition of the critical role of women in advancing progress in various sectors of socio-economic development.
He said International Women’s Day presents an opportunity to collectively strengthen and actualize commitments that have realistic and impactful results that strengthen the growing women’s agenda globally.
The Kenyan official called on the private sector, civil society organizations, and development partners to leverage and build on the existing policy and legislative framework in the country to achieve gender equality, Xinhua news agency reported.
He noted that the government is also using the day to sensitize citizens on the issues related to gender-based violence, noting that the solution lies in robust responses, holding perpetrators accountable, and accelerating action through well-resourced national strategies and increased funding for women’s rights movements.
Mudavadi said the alarming escalation of violence against women needs revitalization of commitments, accountability, and action from decision-makers as quickly as possible.
Marked annually on March 8, International Women’s Day honors the socio-economic, cultural, and political achievements of women following centuries of systemic marginalization. The 2025 edition was celebrated under the theme “Accelerate Action,” highlighting the urgency for swift and decisive efforts to achieve gender parity across all sectors.
–IANS
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