The UDA party held its inaugural National Women Congress meeting on the October 13, 2023 which was presided over by the Deputy Party Leader Hon.Rigathi Gachagua, the Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya.
The meeting was attended by elected and nominated leaders from the County Assemblies, National Assembly, Senate and Governors.
The Theme for the Conference was; Empower Her – Shaping the Future of Women Leadership.
The Deputy Party Leader said that President Ruto’s government is keen on the empowerment of the Kenyan woman through the different senior positions held by women in his administration, ranging from Cabinet Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Ambassadors among others.
He lauded the women leaders for performing exemplary well in the different leadership positions they were serving, noting that the four elected female Governors were steering their Counties to greater heights.
In his opening remarks, Mr.Gachagua affirmed the Party’s position on matters women ranging from; Two-third gender rule, access to education, provision of sanitary towels and other facilities that dignify the girl child, issues of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), early childhood marriage and sexual offences against women, with plans already in place to have every police station have a women complaints desk to receive complaints of sexual offences and will be under a police woman so that the affected can be free to report such cases.
The following resolutions were made during the UDA National Women Congress;
1. To adopt and implement Article 8 of the UDA Women Charter relating to the objective and functions of the women’s league.
2. To implement realization of Gender parity in elective and appointive positions.
3. For purposes of selection of delegates to the NDC, the Chairperson and Vice Chairperson shall be automatic delegates. Further, all counties will be Constituted with due observance of the two third gender rule.
4. That the National Women Congress implores the Government to continue to empower women by promoting activities that seek to enhance women leadership by providing access to education, making sanitary towels easy accessible, promoting community health volunteers, and to also provide a safe and secure space for women to conduct business.
5. That ALL ELECTED and NON-ELECTED WOMEN under the Party shall strive to vie for elective positions from the Polling Centre level to the National Level in the UP-COMING UDA GRASS-ROOT ELECTION
6. That the UDA Party shall support the ACTUALIZATION OF THE TWO-THIRD GENDER RULE IN THE GOVERNMENT ALL HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT and shall support legislations that provide a safe space for women to vie in elective positions.
7. That the National Women Congress DO HEREBY RECOMMEND AND PROPOSE TO THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER THE POSTPONEMENT OF THE GRASS-ROOT ELECTIONS SCHEDULED FOR DECEMBER 9TH 2023.
