Sanitary towels to schools by November, Raila orders

TUESDAY, 25 OCTOBER 2011 00:12 BY BRIAN OTIENO

TETE A TETE : PM Raila Odinga consults with his wife Ida Odinga during their tour of Coast province. Photo/Nobert Allan

Prime Minister Raila Odinga has directed the Education ministry to start distributing sanitary towels to schools across the country by the start of November.

Raila said the government allocated Sh300 million in the current financial budget for the same but bureaucracy in the ministry has hampered the exercise. “I have now given an order that by next month ministry officers must begin distribution of sanitary towels to all schools,” said Raila.

Speaking to women at a gender equity forum in Mombasa, Raila said donors like the World Bank are ready to finance such projects to empower the girl child but some government officers have always delayed the process. “In these cases, women are the ones who are left to suffer.Women have been left to suffer for long in this country. Now things have turned around,” said the PM.

He urged women to go for elective positions. “We will not allow women to be carried on the shoulders by the male folk. They have to stand on their two feet and run beside their male folk,” he said. Speaking at the same function, Water minister Charity Ngilu said women have to be empowered economically in order to be able to go for the top seats in the country.

Ngilu said women have to be in positions where decisions that affect the country are made. She said women must be aggressive, a call echoed by Raila. “We are not yet where we are. But we are happy we are heading in the right direction thanks to the constitution,” said Ngilu. She accused the government of favouring men in giving out tenders. She said women need to be given the opportunity to do business with the government.

Raila said the Article 227 of the constitution allows women to be given preferential treatment in the award of tenders. “I have issued a directive to the government ministries and departments to honour article 227 which provides for affirmative action in procurement,” said Raila. Kasarani MP Elizabeth Ongoro said women have to go for top posts and not deputy positions. “We see in interview women applying for deputy positions yet they have more impressive CVs than the people they want to deputize. Now is the time for women to go for top posts,” said Ongoro.