Kwale County Deputy Governor Fatuma Achani has challenged women leaders in the coastal region to strive to perform their duties better in order to gain public confidence which will in turn enable them get elective positions.
Achani said how women in leadership perform today will determine what bigger roles they will acquire in future.
She said in the coast, women face cultural, religious and other challenges which they must overcome through their performances in various tasks.
Speaking during the official opening of the Transformative Leadership Programme for County Women Executives at Bahari Dhow in Diani, Achani urged women leaders to take active roles in county budgeting processes and make sure budgets factor projects that empower women economically and socially.
The DG said the Kwale County government under the leadership of Governor Salim Mvurya and herself had invested a lot in health, education and other sectors to help women.
“As women leaders, we must be able to fight for our space. We must be able to work smart, we should produce exemplary results in our current positions and this will determine what other bigger positions you acquire in future,” she said.The county gives full sponsorship to more than 3,600 students in national schools, out of which 1470 are girls.
Women leaders in Village Savings and Loans Societies (VSLAs) have been trained by the county to build their capacities and in turn train fellow women at the grassroots in order to empower them economically.
“Today in Kwale County, we have 30 maternity facilities in our rural health centres to make sure our women do not travel long distances to seek such services,” she said on Monday.
Also present during the event were women County Executive officers (CECs), Chief Officers, Directors and other senior officials from all the six coastal counties of Kwale, Mombasa, Taita Taveta, Kilifi, Lamu and Tana River.