STATEMENT BY MR. JAMES MUHATI, PRINCIPAL SECRETARY, STATE DEPARTMENT FOR ECONOMIC PLANNING ON WORLD POPULATION DAY CELEBRATIONS AT RADISSON BLU HOTEL, UPPER HILL NAIROBI ON 11TH JULY 2023
REPUBLIC OF KENYA
THE NATIONAL TREASURY AND ECONOMIC PLANNING
STATE DEPARTMENT FOR ECONOMIC PLANNINING
STATEMENT BY MR. JAMES MUHATI, PRINCIPAL SECRETARY, STATE
DEPARTMENT FOR ECONOMIC PLANNING ON WORLD POPULATION
DAY CELEBRATIONS AT RADISSON BLU HOTEL, UPPER HILL NAIROBI
ON 11TH JULY 2023
Chair, National Council for Population and Development
(NCPD) Board, Rtd. General Dr. Julius Karangi,
NCPD Board Directors,
Director-General, NCPD, Dr. Mohamed Sheikh,
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Representative in
Kenya, Mr. Anders Thomsen,
Development and Implementing Partners present,
All Government Officers present,
Invited Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen.
Good morning
1) I am glad to join you today as we commemorate the 2023 World Population Day. This is indeed an important day both globally and in Kenya. The 2023 World Population Day themed “Unleashing the Power of Gender Equality to Unlock Kenya’s Infinite Possibilities’’ is very pertinent to Kenya. This theme resonates with the Government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Approach that aims at uplifting individuals left behind in economic activities.
2) Gender equality refers to the equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities for women, men, girls and boys. Gender equality, besides being a fundamental human right, is essential to achieving peaceful societies, with full human potential and sustainable development.
3) According to the 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census, the percentage of female population in Kenya was 50.31 per cent compared to 49.69 per cent male population. The population of boys ages 0-18 years was 50.47 per cent compared to girls at 49.53 per cent. These figures thus draw attention to the primacy of adopting gender-responsive interventions tied to populationrelated concerns.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
4) It is notable that the 2023 World Population Day has come soon after the release of the 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) Report, which has shown tremendous progress across various indicators for Kenya. Notwithstanding this progress, more effort needs to be made in narrowing the disparity gap between men and women, which remains a challenge.
5) There has been notable gender wage gap, with women earning less than men for comparable work. The average monthly earnings for women were KSh. 12,166 compared to men at KSh. 18,594. At the same time, 55 per cent of currently married women make decisions alone on how their cash earnings are used and 40 per cent make these decisions jointly with their husband.
6) Towards financial inclusion, the 2022 KDHS reports that 78 per cent of women and 80 per cent of men own a mobile phone while 43 per cent of women and 49 per cent of men own a smartphone, which they use for financial transactions. However, only 29 per cent of women and 39 per cent of men have a bank account.
7) Ownership and control of land and other assets by women and men provide collateral, which can be used to access economic resources and confer additional economic value, status, and bargaining power at the household level. The 2022 KDHS reported that 27 per cent of women compared to 34 per cent of men owned land (either agricultural or non-agricultural) alone or jointly that can be used as collateral.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
8) Gender-based violence has been acknowledged worldwide as a violation of basic human rights. In Kenya, 2022 KDHS shows that 41 per cent of women and 36 per cent of men who have ever had an intimate partner reported to have ever experienced economic, emotional, physical, or sexual violence by their current or most recent intimate partner.
9) Further, 43 per cent of women and 35 per cent of men believe that a husband is justified in beating his wife for various reasons. The percentage of women and men who agree that wife beating is justified for any reason decreases with the higher level of education, from 70 per cent of women and 59 per cent of men with no education agreeing with wife beating compared to 19 per cent of women and 21 per cent of men with more than secondary education.
10)Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is widely recognized as a violation of human rights and is deeply rooted in beliefs and perceptions over generations. The prevalence of FGM declined from 38 per cent in 1998 to 15 per cent in 2022 as shown by 2022 KDHS.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
11)Girls are less likely than boys to complete secondary education often due to early marriages, adolescent pregnancies, and domestic work. Overall, about 12 per cent of women and 13 per cent of men have more than secondary education. Thirteen per cent of women compared to 10 per cent of men have no education, while about 15 per cent of both women and men have completed only primary education.
12)The Kenya Population and Housing Census 2019 shows that 4.3 per cent of male and 11.2 per cent of females aged (15-19) were ever married. Data from Kenya Integrated Health System (KHIS) shows in 2022, 13,196 girls aged 10-14 years and 245,279 girls aged 15-19 years were pregnant as observed during the first antenatal visit.
13)Women and girls still spend long hours collecting water. According to the 2022 KDHS, about half of the household population, 54 per cent do not have drinking water on their premises. In households without drinking water on their premises, the person who mostly collects water is an adult female aged 15 years or older at 69 per cent compared adult male, 15 years or older at 15 per cent.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
14)At elective leadership levels, disparities still exist with 7 women elected as governors compared 40 men in 2022. Additionally, three women compared to 44 men were elected as senators while 29 women compared to 261 men were elected as Members of National Assembly. At the county assembly level, 115 women compared to 1335 men were elected as Members of the County Assembly.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
15)The Government of Kenya has put in place initiatives to promote gender equality. There has been deliberate effort to facilitate women’s economic empowerment by increasing access to credit and entrepreneurship opportunities. Initiatives such as the Access to Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO) is aimed at facilitating enterprises owned by women, youth and persons with disabilities to be able to participate in Government opportunities. Funds such as the Hustler Fund, Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (MSMEs) Fund, Youth Enterprise Fund, UWEZO Fund, and the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) have been set up to improve access to credit and enhance financial inclusion.
16)During the Nairobi International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD)25 Summit, Kenya committed to eliminate teenage pregnancies, new adolescent and youth HIV infections and harmful practices such as child marriages. Towards these, the Government launched the Let’s Act to End teenage Pregnancy Campaign in March 2020 and this was followed by the Launch of the Triple Threat Campaign in December 2021.
17)The Country further committed to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) by: strengthening coordination in the area of legislation and policy framework; communication and advocacy; evidence generation and support cross border collaboration on elimination of FGM.
18)Kenya also committed to eliminate by 2030, all forms of gender based violence, including child and forced marriages, by addressing social and cultural norms that propagate the practice while providing support to women and girls who have been affected.
19)Finally, the country committed to end gender and other forms of discrimination by 2030 through enforcing the anti-discrimination laws and providing adequate budgetary allocations to institutions mandated to promote gender equality, equity and empowerment of women and girls.
20)To actualize these commitments, the country has made strides in enacting policies and legal frameworks to promote gender equality. The 2010 Constitution provides a strong foundation for gender equality, with provisions for affirmative action, women’s representation in leadership, and protection against discrimination. The National Gender Equality Commission and the National Gender and Equality Commission Act play vital roles in promoting and enforcing gender equality. Continued implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of these policies is important for meaningful progress.
Ladies and Gentlemen
21)Education and skills training for job creation and employability is a key component in human transformation/development and is a solution in addressing gender inequalities. To address gaps in education enrolment, transition, quality, and gender disparities, the Government is implementing education reforms including improving the teacher-pupil ratio, infrastructure development, and offering bursaries to needy students. Cash transfers especially to vulnerable households assist in keep children in school.
22)Women and girls represent half of the world’s population and therefore, half of its infinite possibilities. Mentoring encourages girls to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education as well as trade specialization, including the digital and green economy.
Ladies and Gentlemen
23)As the country prepares to launch the Fourth Medium-Term Plan 2023-27 of Kenya’s Vision 2030, and as counties work on finalizing the County Integrated Development Plans 2023-27, the 2023 World Population Day theme reminds us of the importance of eliminating all forms of inequality through inclusive development plans.
24)As I conclude, I wish to reiterate that the commemoration of the 2023 World Population Day, should serve as a reminder that in order to achieve meaningful development, we must work towards a nation of equal opportunity and prosperity.
25)I take this opportunity to call upon all Kenyans to actively participate in the development of this nation while embracing gender equality and equity in all sectors of development.
Thank you.
