By MN Reporter

The Msichana Empowerment Kuria will take part in a five year program funded by the Netherlands Government to increase involvement of women leadership through rights advocacy.

This comes as women have been shying away from leadership positions, not only through elections but also in village and administrative posts like school board of management.

Natalie Robi, Executive Director of Msichana Empowerment said Migori has never produced a female MP since independent out of eight constituencies and only has three elected female MCAs out of 40 wards.

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“In 2013 Migori had only one elected MCA from Ikerege ward, in the last poll we had three at Kwa, Kanyasa and Komosoko~Komosense wards, we not only seek to increase the number of elected female MCAs, but also in other seats,” she said.

She said they will build awareness of women and improve accountability gender inequality, not only in elected position but from village councils and administrative work even in church leadership positions.

She was speaking in Migori town on May 18 when they launched the project in the county.

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Deborah Olwal, the National General Secretary Young Women Christian Association (YWCA) said for five years, YWCA will roll a project Young Women for Awareness, Agency, Advocacy and Accountability (YW4A) which will seek to ensure women have a focal role in leadership roles.

The project will be rolled in Migori, Kisii and Meru counties by Inua Mama Mjane (IMM), Center for Community Mobilisation and Empowerment (CECOME) and Msichana Empowerment Kuria (MEK) respectively.

The project is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands government among other partners.

Roselyne Pepela, Head of Programms at YWCA Kenya said in the three counties, women are heavily underrepresented in leadership.