The struggle for equal access to education and career opportunities for women and girls hasn’t gone away you know. With attention remaining focused on the fight against Coronavirus there has been an erosion of female empowerment in Kenya. And as the crisis continues endlessly it appears, the amount of damage being done to girl power increases each day.
Traditionally, girls went to school until the age of 12 or 13 when they were forced to leave and get married. Prioritising domestic chores rather than academic achievement has acted as the greatest barrier to female empowerment to-date. According to UN Women, “work still needs to be done in Kenya to achieve gender equality”. The agency also noted that the proportion of women now aged 20-24 years who were married before they turned 18 stood at almost 23% before the crisis. There has also been a significant step back when it comes to women’s health. A separate report by EqualMeasures2030 found that “Kenya continues to lag behind other countries on…female HIV infection rates and maternal mortality”. All of this has negatively impacted the promotion of girl power in the country.
In response, DCI launched its girls empowerment program to change this reality. The project aims to fill the gaps left by a lack of education. Through activity-based workshops our girls are benefiting from high-quality education, career development and counselling & mentorship. Those involved have benefited from a huge increase in self-confidence and independence, which has ultimately strengthened one thing - girl power! We have only started on this really important journey. There are so many women and girls out there to help. Are you with us?!
You can help female empowerment in Kenya now by visiting the project page.