Nairobi: The First Lady of Kenya, Rachel Ruto, has urged for collective efforts to empower young girls, emphasizing the need to address the barriers hindering them from reaching their full potential. Speaking at the World Thinking Day celebrations held at Nyeri Moi Complex, Mrs. Ruto highlighted abject poverty as a significant obstacle that forces many girls to prioritize family responsibilities over personal aspirations.
According to Kenya News Agency, Mrs. Ruto stressed the importance of ensuring access to quality education and essential services for girls to equip them with skills necessary for personal and national development. She called for a strategy to achieve 100 percent enrolment and retention in schools, aligning with the government’s goal of providing food access to 10 million children by 2030. Poverty, exacerbated by climate change, remains a pressing issue limiting educational opportunities for girls.
The First Lady also encouraged learning institutions to support the Kenya Girl Guides Association in developing practical interventions to address challenges like climate change and food insecurity. She advocated for expanding the One Tree Campaign, urging Girl Guides to plant more trees annually, including fruit trees, in collaboration with the 4K Club to combat food insecurity.
Gender PS Ann Wang’ombe praised Mrs. Ruto’s leadership in promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment. Wang’ombe highlighted the Girl Guides movement as a platform for character building and courage, emphasizing the importance of equal opportunities for women and girls. She also commended the formation of a taskforce to tackle femicide, advocating for gender equality that benefits both sexes.
Terry Chebet Maina, National Chair of Kenya Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, urged the movement to uphold the founding spirit of Scouting by nurturing dependable young individuals. Maina reflected on the movement’s global impact in advancing youth rights, underscoring values like dignity, integrity, and servant leadership.
The event was attended by several dignitaries, including Nyeri County Commissioner Ronald Mwiwawi and Nyeri Central MP Duncan Maina Mathenge. The Girl Guide Association, founded in 1920 by Olave St. Clair, continues to empower women, building on the legacy of General Robert Baden-Powell, who initiated the Scout Movement in 1907. Baden-Powell’s grave in Nyeri, Kenya, was declared a national monument in 2001, symbolizing the enduring influence of Scouting, which has engaged over 500 million people worldwide.