2009 Speeches
Remarks by United States Ambassador Michael E. Ranneberger Reception in Honor of International Women’s Day
March 5, 2009
Thank you all for being here this evening to help celebrate International Women’s Day. The importance of the role of a woman and mother is highlighted in the Kiswahili proverb: Asiyefunzwa na mamaye ufunzwa na ulimwengu (If you do not follow your mother’s teachings, the world will take over).
There are so many Kenyan women of great accomplishment here that I cannot begin to acknowledge them all. I do want to note a very special guest, my friend Constance Newman, who has served with great distinction in very senior positions in a number of U.S. Administrations. Her most recent positions were as Assistant Secretary for African Affairs and as the USAID Assistant Administrator for Africa. In both capacities she worked to advance the partnership between the United States and Kenya. I want to thank her for all the career help and support she has given to me. She is a great mentor and tremendous friend.
I am delighted to have by my side this evening my daughter Elizabeth, who is rapidly – too rapidly – growing into an impressive young woman of many talents and accomplishments. She continues to be a big source of support, and a wonderful gift that I cherish.
International Women’s Day is an opportunity to recognize that prosperity and democracy require the active participation of women in all aspects of society, politics, and the economy, and to acknowledge the vital contribution of women to international peace and security. On International Women’s Day we consider the accomplishments and achievements of outstanding women all over the world, but also identify how we can all do more to empower women.
I want to emphasize that the United States is strongly committed to promoting the rights of Kenyan women and their increased participation in all aspects of social, political, and economic life. This is a highly important dimension of the strong and growing partnership between the U.S. and Kenya.
Celebration of International Women’s Day this year coincides with the first anniversary of the agreement to form the coalition government following the worst crisis in Kenya’s history. Women were instrumental in the efforts to bring about the coalition government, from the negotiators themselves to the women leaders in civil society, business, religious groups, and the media that pressed for a political solution. Groups like Vital Voices, Women for Peace and Justice, and the Federation of Women Lawyers, just to name a few, were at the forefront of calming tensions and helping achieve an equitable solution. Countless women played a similar role in thousands of communities and households across the country. I congratulate you for playing such a crucial role to energize Kenya’s democratic spirit in such an effective way. Your country owes you an immense debt of gratitude.
The role that women played was particularly appropriate given that women suffered so greatly during the violence both before and following the elections. We must not forget the courageous efforts which so many women made to run for Parliament in the face of often violent intimidation. While women are still seriously under-represented in Parliament, those who were elected deserve credit for having overcome huge hurdles. There are now 22 female members of Parliament, and 13 of them have taken seats as ministers or assistant ministers in the expanded cabinet. I urge them to be forthright in representing the interests of all Kenyan women across social, ethnic, and political lines.
I want to urge all of you to play leadership roles in mobilizing women across the country to push for peaceful change. As we reflect upon the situation in Kenya today, it is important to acknowledge that significant progress has been made in implementing the reform agenda. The constitutional review process has been launched, the discredited electoral commission has been disbanded, the bill to establish the Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation Commission has been passed, and the political parties act is being implemented, among other steps. However, we must focus on the tremendous amount that remains to be done, from the setting up of the new electoral commission, to holding people accountable for post-election violence, to taking decisive action against corruption. I urge women to insist upon the creation of a credible Special Tribunal in Kenya, which will be a major step toward finally ending the culture of impunity.
It is important that women also play a major role in ending corruption. The World Bank concluded, based on a 1999 study, that the greater the representation of women in a country’s parliament, the lower the level of corruption in that state. Researchers found that women are less likely to sacrifice the public good for personal gain.
There is a Swahili saying that “Mwanamke ni ngao,” (a woman is the pillar of the community). We honor the work all of you do in government, in business, in civil society and just within your own families, but I challenge you to do even more. Elected office and business acumen are meaningless in a world where you keep your mouths and purses and hearts closed to the needs of the society and its citizens. When children feel the bite of hunger, who is there to give them food but the mothers of this country. When it is obvious that politicians and others are stealing from the public treasury, who is there to denounce them if not the women of Kenya. When women are denied their rights – natural, physical, economic and political -- by unsustainable laws and unacceptable social mores -- who is there to act but those women themselves.
I urge all of you to help raise up the voices of women from every region and corner of this country, from every ethnic and social group, to demand fundamental change through full implementation of the reform agenda. Kenyans, I believe, recognize that they crossed a watershed last year and that there can be no turning back. However, to achieve the change that all Kenyans want to see, there must be peaceful pressure exerted on the leaders of the coalition government. Women of Kenya, make your power felt! The time is now! Drive the process of change in order to transform this country!
Recognizing Defenders of Human Rights and Peace
In Kenya there is no shortage of outstanding, committed women leaders who are working to improve their country. There are too many distinguished women in attendance tonight to recognize all your contributions, but I want to cite just a few who have played outstanding roles in promoting human rights and peace.
• Justice Joyce Aluoch was appointed in January 2009 to the International Criminal Court, becoming the first Kenyan judge at The Hague. Among her many contributions she established the Family Division of the High Court, and facilitated the program which trains Judges and Magistrates in Human Rights Law. She also served as Vice-Chairperson of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. Congratulations Honorable Justice Joyce Aluoch!
• Anne Njogu is the Executive Director of the Centre for Rights Education and Awareness (CREAW), which focuses on protection of women and children against domestic violence. CREAW sensitizes Kenyans on the ills of domestic violence and lobbies for the enactment of laws against domestic violence. Ms. Njogu has also been active in efforts to hold Parliament accountable, and was arrested for her role in protesting parliamentary pay hikes in 2007.
• Fatma Abeyd is founder and Secretary General of the Kenya Anti-Rape Organization. Fatma began a one-woman crusade that intervenes in unfair judgment of rape and defilement cases. It is widely believed that her activities encouraged Kenyan gender activists to begin the long road that led eventually to the recently enacted Sexual Offences Act.
• Edith Murogo runs the Centre for Domestic Training & Development, which was a 2008 Self-Help Grant recipient. The Center is promoting the welfare of domestic workers in Kenya by raising their profile, and equipping them with the knowledge and skills to claim their rightful place in society.
Unsung Heroes
I want to recognize from among the many distinguished women present tonight, three unsung heroes. They too are an inspiration.
• Sheila Waithera Wangui is 17 and a member of the Kenya Girl Guide Association. She is an orphan very committed to the fight against HIV/AIDS in Kenya. She is one of four girls from around the world selected to present at the 53rd Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women in New York this week. There is no finer example than Sheila of a young woman in Kenya today who is setting a positive example for today's leaders and the future leaders of tomorrow.
• Eva Muraya is CEO of a company called Color Creations Ltd, which recently launched a job creation campaign dubbed Be (Building Entrepreneurs). This innovative campaign is aimed at molding and empowering unemployed youth to develop entrepreneurial skills and attain financial independence. Eva's success is now inspiring others, particularly young women, and she has been recognized with several international awards - including the Goldman Sachs-Fortune Global Women Leaders Award.
• Elsa Ouko is a co-founder of KENEPOTE, a network of 4,000 HIV-positive teachers. She has been a strong and vocal advocate to reduce stigma and discrimination against teachers living with HIV.
• Consolata Oyuga is a special education expert and teacher at the St. Benedict Catholic Church, who works with mentally challenged children, physically handicapped children with cerebral palsy, and down syndrome children aged 6 -15 years from the Mathare slums. Her tireless efforts are helping these children to become self-reliant by helping them to go through normal schooling and claim their rightful place in society.
U.S. Support
The United States will continue to support the women of Kenya in your efforts to bring about fundamental change and to promote gender equity. I want to lay out just some of what we are doing.
• Three months ago we held several programs in support of the UN’s 16-day call for an end to violence against women.
• Through the Women’s Justice and Empowerment Initiative we are working with the Attorney General and the Department of Public Prosecutions to make it possible for women to feel safe and to receive justice in court when cases of sexual violence are brought before magistrates. This program is training the police to properly investigate cases of abuse and prosecutors to build winnable cases against those accused. This $10 million program in support of the Sexual Offences Act is also helping increase public awareness
• On the health side, HIV still afflicts more women than men – both directly and indirectly -- in Kenya. The U.S. Government through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), has increased its support to Kenyan women and girls. Two-thirds of those receiving PEPFAR-supported anti-retroviral therapy in Kenya are women. Of the nearly one million pregnant women in Kenya who have received counseling and testing for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, more than 60,000 of those testing positive have received a complete course of anti-retrovirals that help protect their babies from infection.
• PEPFAR was also the first development partner in Kenya to support both integrated gender-based violence and HIV programs at Nairobi Women’s Hospital and the provision of post-exposure prophylaxis to women who have been raped and potentially exposed to HIV. PEPFAR has also separated its program data by gender, a critical step to ensure HIV interventions are targeted to, and sensitive of, the unique vulnerabilities faced by women and girls.
• I am pleased to announce something of direct interest to all the women of Kenya: as a direct result of PEPFAR, almost 100 percent coverage of all mother-to-child transmission of HIV has been achieved.
• On a related health issue, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) has rightfully been outlawed in Kenya, but it remains a scourge in many parts of the country. In support of the implementation of the anti-FGM legislation, we have partnered with Kenyans to mainstream anti-gender-based violence activities in the healthcare system. Recently, on the International Day for Zero Tolerance Against FGM, I co-authored a commentary in the Standard with the Minister of Gender and Ruth Konchellah, the head of Cherish Others, which highlighted the physical and psychological harm that FGM does to women and girls.
• We are also assisting women to be empowered through micro-enterprise programs. The USG–supported small loans bank, K-Rep, has a client base that is 75% female, providing small funding to disadvantaged communities in both rural and urban areas. One of those women is with us tonight. Esther Wanjiru Wambui in Kibera now has the economic means to determine her future and that of her family. I must add that Esther’s chapattis are delicious as I learned when my daughter and I visited her stand earlier this year.
• We are also helping to Kenya to meet its commitment to improve gender-equity with respect to political participation. Our Political Parties Program specifically aims at increasing the participation and recognition of women in parties’ affairs. As a result, 5 political parties have developed action plans that aim to remove barriers to women’s participation.
• Even our agricultural program has placed special emphasis on “gender-balanced” crops – that is crops where women are the major force in production and marketing. To increase participation and benefits to women, we are providing support for the production of crops such as African leafy vegetables, sweet potatoes, beans and butternut squash. We are facilitating marketing contracts between women’s groups and buyers.
• Natural resource management is also an important area of our support to Kenyan women. It is an area that fundamentally affects women’s lives and women are leading the fight to preserve Kenya’s nature as shown by the wonderful work of Professor Wangari Maathai. The US government supports programs that increase women’s participation in natural resource planning, decision making and management. These programs raise awareness among farmer- and rancher-groups to include women and provide them equal membership rights. Working directly with communities, we help ensure that women have an equal voice in the planning and use of their communities’ resources.
• Education is vital to improve the lives of women. We support girls’ education through the Ambassador’s Scholarship Program, which provides scholarships to 3,000 female primary and secondary school students. In support of Girls’ Education in Kenya, USAID is assisting the Ministry of Education to incorporate policies and laws that support gender equity in education. This program supported the publication and dissemination of the Gender Education Policy document that was developed in collaboration with the Forum for African Women Educationists.
In these and many other ways, we are working to promote gender equity. It is vitally important that we work in close consultation with civil society and the government to ensure that programs are effective. I invite your comments, insights and advice on all aspects of our efforts for women in Kenya.
I cannot think of a better way to conclude these remarks than by quoting the renowned Kenyan author Margaret Ogola, who wrote so eloquently “Mamangu alinipa busara na maisha ya mamake pamoja na nyanyake. Nguvu na msaada ambazo zinapatikana katika jamii ya Waafrika ni muhimu zaidi kwa kuwa ni sehemu ya utamaduni wetu na zinapaswa kuhifadhiwa na kulelewa kwa vyovyote vile.” (“My mother handed down to me the wisdom and lives of her own mother and grandmother. This strength and support that is found in the African family is the most important part of our culture, and should be preserved and nurtured at all costs.")
Please take advantage of tonight’s well-deserved opportunity to celebrate your many accomplishments. Thank you all for coming. I wish you all continued success as you work to ensure a brighter future for Kenya and Kenyan women. I assure you that the United States will stand by your side as you work to bring about fundamental change. The increasing activism of women and the tremendous energy and talent of all the women assembled here give me hope for the future of Kenya.
Asanteni Sana!