How I plan to tackle FGM, early marriage issues -Gender CS nominee 

Gender Cabinet Secretary nominee Stella Langat has outlined several strategies to address female genital mutilation (FGM) and early marriages if confirmed to lead the ministry.

Langat, who spoke before the Committee on Appointments on Sunday, attributed these problems to the high levels of poverty in the affected communities, which she insisted needed attention.

Langat proposed involving men and empowering women more in order to tackle these problems.

“These are issues that are emanating from the levels of poverty in our communities. Most of the communities that I have interacted with are communities where the poverty index is very high and girls are considered an investment. We need to address poverty in our community by empowering men and women, especially men. Because for a successful girl to progress and grow into a person dependent on society, it takes a man. Without the support of a male figure in a family, women cannot do much in terms of empowerment.

She also highlighted plans to improve girls' access to education and provide the necessary resources they need.

“I will ensure that every community has a school that girls can access, and I will also support the girls by giving them the required items, such as sanitary towels, so that they are able to transition from puberty to higher levels of education.

A file photo shows a girl holding sanitary towels. (Photo: NayaKenya)

Langat further proposed economic measures to deter FGM practices, particularly targeting those who perpetuate the practice. She proposed granting these women access to funds through various economic initiatives.

“We need to strengthen women who are earning a living from perpetrating FGM by providing them with alternative means of income through economic empowerment. One approach is to allow them to access funds through initiatives such as the Hustler Fund and the Women Enterprise Fund. This way, they can find alternative sources of income and shift their focus away from harmful practices,” she said.

She also noted that she will assign Members of Parliament to help combat FGM by distributing bursaries to affected communities.

“To create awareness in areas where FGM is prevalent, I plan to rely on MPs. I will assign them to these communities so that we can support alternative efforts through the distribution of bursaries,” she said.