Source: The Star
MOMBASA Deputy Governor Hazel Katana has said they will come up with strategies to ensure women and youth get equal opportunities at the county level. She said the county will initiate projects tailored for women and youth, through the Youth, Gender and Sports docket.

Speaking on Monday at Tononoka grounds during the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, Katana said women have been neglected for a long time. She said women from urban and rural areas will be given priority.

"Women from Mwakirunge will be educated on how to come up with agricultural projects while the urban ones will be enlightened on how to win the government tenders," she said. This, according to Katana, will help women benefit equally from different programmes depending on their capacity.

Meanwhile, she said cases of children defilement within close family members have increased and need to be stopped immediately.

She said many women shy away from following the legal channels after their girls have been raped by close family friends for fear of destroying the family relations.

She added that in other instances single mother have been psychologically disturbingyoung their girls by staying with them in single-roomed houses where they usually meet with their men-friends.

Katana said this is also gender based violence as the young girls witness whatever their mothers do at night and they end up leading the same life.

She said they have tried to talk to the UN habitat to come up with safe centres projects for victims of gender based violence so that they can stay far away from their perpetrators.

When a girl has been sexually violated, chances are that she will continue seeing the perpetrator walking freely. Safe centres will work as counseling and support centers for these girls.

She said there is also another option of having low cost modern houses built for the locals to help them live decently as currently many families are staying in single-roomed houses.

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