Women nationwide have been urged to assume leadership positions and support one another at the community level to close the gender gap in all fields.
First Lady Rachael Ruto stated that women are essential to the development of a country when she attended the Friday launch of the Professional Association of Nyanza Women's (PANY) 2024–2028 Strategic Plan.
The Nyanza Women's Association members have united to empower one another, coming from each of the six counties in the area.
The First Lady, who donated the association Ksh. 1 million, urged Nyanza's female professionals to make investments to support the region's poor boys and girls in getting better education so they can help themselves.
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"We can mobilize resources and implement targeted interventions to allow women to achieve their full potential. This will help reduce poverty experienced in many rural communities which will combine with a high level of dependency leaving families with little disposable income for investment," she said.
The leaders in attendance commended the Nyanza women professionals and urged other women nationwide to follow suit and work together to combat poverty and other community-affecting issues.
"Women must be deliberate and intentional in coming together to share their skills, expertise and experiences. The association has the potential to amplify the women's voices and to bring meaningful changes to Nyanza to the nation and at the global level," said Deputy President's Spouse Pastor Dorcas Rigathi.
ICT CS Eliud Owalo added: "Moving forward as a country, we need to appreciate and accept the fact that the women of this country will no longer play a peripheral role in the social development of Kenya, the woman must be at the orthocenter of every initiative in this country."
To transform society, the Professional Association of Nyanza Women focuses on development issues in each of the six counties that make up the Nyanza region.
"We are now on the frontline redefining the true meaning of sustainable development agenda for our region with the focus on healthcare, education, agriculture, climate change and financial inclusion," said PANY Chairperson Betty Adera.
Council of Governors (CoG) Chairperson Anne Waiguru added: "As we celebrate the achievements of Nyanza women, we must also look to the future; we must recognise that their success is not just their own but a victory to all women across Kenya and beyond. Indeed we are challenged so start similar bodies elsewhere."
"Government can only do so much, there is quite a bit that we can also do from our perspectives informed by the skills, expertise and competencies that we have within our professional disciplines to also contribute," CS Owalo noted.
Across the Nyanza region, the association boasts over 2,000 members as of its 2023 launch.
