KENYA HANDS OVER COMMONWEALTH WOMEN’S AFFAIRS MEETING CHAIR POSITION TO THE BAHAMAS

Cabinet Secretary, Hon. Aisha Jumwa, this afternoon joined fellow Ministers from the Commonwealth virtually, during the second day of the 13th Commonwealth Women’s Affairs Ministers Meeting (13WAMM) in the Bahamas.

During the meeting, the Cabinet Secretary officially handed over the chair position which Kenya has held since 2019 during the 12th Commonwealth Women’s Affairs Ministers Meeting (12WAMM) in Nairobi to the Government of The Bahamas and her counterpart, Hon. Obediah Wilchcombe, Minister of Social Services and Urban Development.

In her address, Hon. Jumwa noted that Kenya had made tremendous strides since the 12WAMM in implementing the four priority areas namely Women and Leadership; Ending Violence Against Women and Girls; Women’s Economic Empowerment; and Climate Change.

She highlighted the Government of Kenya’s 10 Commitments and the 9 Point Women Agenda which she noted were in alignment with the Commonwealth priorities.

“The Government of Kenya under the leadership of H.E. President Dr. William Ruto has also made 10 commitments and the 9 Point Women Agenda which is aligned to the Commonwealth priorities on gender. The commitments ascribe to a range of international, regional and national normative frameworks, that advance concrete measures for the realization of gender equality and empowerment of women and girls,” she said.

In her opening remarks, Commonwealth Secretary-General the Rt. Hon. Patricia Scotland highlighted the serious challenges being experienced across the world currently namely the long shadow of COVID-19; crippling debt, rising inflation and climate change and noted that the impact on women and girls is disproportionate.

Secretary-General Scotland stressed that accelerated action on gender equality is at the heart of the success of the Commonwealth in the face of the ongoing challenges and pledged her continued support to the ministers
noting that they were all more than equal to the challenges they face.

The Commonwealth Women’s Affairs Ministers Meeting opened on 21st August 2023 in The Bahamas with a call for stronger action on gender equality priorities in the face of intensifying global environmental and economic challenges.

The meeting was opened by the Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland and the Prime Minister of The Bahamas, the Hon. Philip Davis and was attended by more than 80 ministers and senior officials from across the Commonwealth’s six regions.