KENYA REPORTS GAINS, ONE YEAR AFTER THE NAIROBI SUMMIT ICPD25
The Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and Planning Amb. Ukur Yatani led Kenya in marking the 1st anniversary of the Nairobi Summit on ICPD25 on 27th January, 2021 in Nairobi. During the celebrations, Kenya took stock of the progress made over the last one year. In the Kenya country report, the Nation outlined progress in funding and implementing programmes in support of advancing universal education, gender equity, and other commitments made by the Government of Kenya during the Nairobi Summit on ICPD25 held in November 2019.
During the celebrations held virtually various government ministries gave their scorecard on the specific commitments they are directly implementing. These ministries included the Ministry of Education, The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, The Ministry of Public Service And Gender, The Ministry of Health, The Ministry of ICT, Innovation and Youth Affairs.
Kenya was among the United Nations member states who committed to advance the goals of the ICPD Plan of Action aimed at ending all preventable maternal deaths, unmet need for family planning and gender-based violence and harmful practices against women and girls by 2030. President Uhuru Kenyatta presented Kenya’s seventeen commitments to the International community that included pledges on access to sexual and reproductive health services, universal education, promoting gender equity, harnessing the demographic dividend, and financing for population programmes.
The report by NCPD shows that despite challenges brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, efforts towards eliminating preventable maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality continued over the last year with the training of over 17,000 health care workers on Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care (EmONC), provision of family planning services, obstetric fistula care, among other maternal and neonatal health issues. Over the course of the year, Kshs 4 billion was allocated to the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) for the Linda Mama program which provides health insurance for maternal and child healthcare services.
In addressing social and economic challenges faced by the youth, a key milestone recorded over the last year was the establishment of a multi-agency task force to end teenage pregnancies in the country. The youth also received support in the development of job skills through programmes such as the Kenya Youth Employment Opportunity Project (KYEOP) and the National Youth Service (NYS). Over 50,000 young people received apprenticeship and industrial skills training as well as coaching on entrepreneurship in both the formal and informal sectors. Over Kshs 473.3 million in credit was disbursed to youth and youth enterprises, benefitting about 94,680 youth from various parts of the country.
The Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting economic challenges and restrictions in movement have worsened existing gender inequalities in the country. This has been evidenced by a spike in the number of women and girls experiencing gender-based violence during this period. Providing support to women and girls affected by gender based violence and other harmful practices such as FGM and child marriages has been a key focus, with efforts to increase access to quality and comprehensive response and support services to survivors of gender based violence.
Amongst the 17 commitments made by the government of Kenya at the Nairobi Summit on ICPD25 was the elimination of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Kenya by 2022, ahead of the global target of 2030. With the support of partners including the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the government through a multi-stakeholder approach has made progress on this commitment, including the training of over 4,000 law enforcement officers and community leaders on FGM prevention.
Drawing from lessons learnt over the past year, the report recommends the integration of emergency response and risk mitigation plans in the design of programs for adolescents and youth, whose wellbeing has been significantly impacted during the Covid-19 pandemic.
DG AND PS: The Principal Secretary State Department for Planning Mr. Torome Saitoti CBS, making his remarks during the 1st Anniversary Of The Nairobi Summit On ICPD25 on 27th January, 2021 in Nairobi. On his left is the NCPD’s Director General Dr. Mohamed Sheikh
