By Felix Njenga
Worth Noting:
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She said that the organisation has been able to empower women by registering them into a Sacco which has helped to improve their social economic status.
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“The women after advocacy has been able to understand many things and now they are involved in the political arena, are able to seek jobs in the male dominated fields, they are also leaders in their communities and have been able to participate actively in government projects and through public participation they know how government works,” she said.
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Rachel Kagoiya GROOTS Kenya secretariat said that the grassroots women have undergone a myriad of challenges where being accepted fully on the national and international spheres is still an uphill task which they believe will be broken.
Grassroot women in the country have continued to break barriers and are fighting hard for their space in their communities in different fields such as economic empowerment and governance and leadership.
Over 300 women drawn from 22 counties in the country converged in Ndumberi stadium in Kiambu Town to celebrate 30 years of inception of Grassroots Organizations Operating Together in Sisterhood (GROOTS-Kenya) an organisation that champions for the empowerment of grassroot women formed during the advent of Beijing conference in 1995.
According to Esther Wanjiku found and visionary said that GROOTS Kenya has been able to penetrate the grassroots and advocate for women rights which has beared fruits and women now are taking up spaces and their voices heard.
“Since we formed the organisation to champion for women rights it has been 30 years of progress since women voices are being heard and they have been able to come out and empower themselves and take up leadership roles,” Wanjiku said.
She said that the organisation has been able to empower women by registering them into a Sacco which has helped to improve their social economic status.
“The women after advocacy has been able to understand many things and now they are involved in the political arena, are able to seek jobs in the male dominated fields, they are also leaders in their communities and have been able to participate actively in government projects and through public participation they know how government works,” she said.
Rachel Kagoiya GROOTS Kenya secretariat said that the grassroots women have undergone a myriad of challenges where being accepted fully on the national and international spheres is still an uphill task which they believe will be broken.
“The women are still being pushed but the vigour in which the women are coming up to take up space we know they will achieve to be leaders in many aspects and spheres,” Kagoiya said.
She said that they have partnered with National and county government on policy making to ensure that women are factor adding that they are still.pishing for the implementation of the two thirds gender rule.
She added that being a national movement they will continue to recruit women in all 47 counties to ensure women are empowered and understands their rights.
Wairimu Kanyiri member of the organisation said that as they celebrate 30 years of women empowerment they condemned femicide cases and abductions which are going on in the country calling upon the government to curb the vice.
Mary Mosieny from Laikipia county a member and lands right champion said that coming from Maasai community women are bound by their culture and taboo which disadvantages them.
” I am happy that GROOTS Kenya came to the aid of Maasai women I am their chairlady where I come from and we are about 100 women who have come together to empower ourselves and we are proud owners of a community land that we bought,” she said.
She said that women are proud of the organisation as it was able to sit down with the Maasai community elders and men and educated them on women empowerment which they agreed.
She called on women to be incorporated in the the leadership of the community land which most positions are taken up by the men.
Hannah Muiruri from Muranga county said that advocacy has helped grassroot women voice to be heard and able to speak their minds and are getting empowered.
She however said that women have been appointed into leadership positions with the county governments involving women in budget making.
Over the past three decades, the movement has grown into a powerful network of over 5,000 grassroots women-led organizations, driving change in leadership, governance, economic empowerment, and climate resilience.
Other key achievements include leadership and governance where they have empowered 617 grassroots women into leadership positions, shaping policies, and advocating for gender-responsive governance.
They have been able to facilitate women to access financial resources through GROOTS Sacco, enabling women entrepreneurs to secure loans of up to KSh2.6 million for business growth.
They have trained women in climate-smart agriculture and sustainable environmental practices, enhancing food security.
They however have been defending land and property rights for widows and orphans, ensuring dignity and security for affected families
Xinhua Media