Chief officer for Women Youth and Social services Mr. Haggai Kadiri giving his closing remarks during the workshop at Bondo (Picture by Matilda Atieno)
By Matilda Atieno
The county government in partnership with PLAN International rolled out sensitization of the duty bearers as an effort towards the implementation of the National Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) policy of 2015 that recognizes the reproductive health rights of individuals.
The objective of the training was to create organizational change that facilitates county gender officers’ abilities to promote Sexual and reproductive health for the adolescents and adults in the community. The training also set out to empower county officers on Gender-based violence prevention and Sexual Reproductive Health as thematic components of the ASRH policy to create organizational change.
The three days training is part of the county’s commitment to ensure that all individuals have access to information on reproductive health (RH) and sexual gender-based violence protection in Kisumu. The initiative has so far contributed largely to the reduction of teen pregnancy and early marriages in the county reported at 17% in 2020 from 34 % recorded in 2017.
Speaking to the county deputy SRH coordinator Mr. Jackton Okeyo and also the facilitator of the workshop, the initiative addresses SRHR challenges as well as contributing to the achievement of Universal Health Coverage (UHC). “The initiative places emphasis on eliminating teenage pregnancy and maternal deaths due to unsafe abortion among the young women”. Said Mr. Okeyo.
In his closing remarks the chief officer for Women Youth and PWDs, Mr. Haggai Kadiri was grateful for the organizers including the Officers in charge of gender, PLAN International and KMET for supporting the workshop, stating that SRH is important to the gender officers.
The chief officer urged participants not to lower their guard but to reach out to the community with the information to help prevent violations and to create awareness across the county, adding that the department is committed to drawing up programs that impact the community.
He also announced that the department is set to roll out the revolving fund, starting with the setting up of the committees at the sub-county and training of the beneficiaries before issuing the loans.
The county Director Women, Youth and PWDs, Mr. Junior Omondi also encouraged the officers to escalate the information through community outreach as duty bearers accountable for the prevention of SGBV.
The training was an advocacy measure on advancing the realization of sexual reproductive health and SGBV prevention commitment in the county.
