Directorate Of Gender And Children Affairs

1. Women Empowerment

In recognition of the efforts women leadership is contributing in the development of Bomet County, the Directorate of Gender and Children Affairs organised sensitisation training for Women Group leaders both as a way of Celebrating the 2018 International Womens Day and the election of one of their own as the first woman Governor of Bomet County Dr. Joyce Laboso. Over 600 Women Group Leaders drawn from Affirmative Funds Groups (WEF, NGAAF, UWEZO, YEDF), Savings and Credit Cooperatives ( Gotab Kor, Bomet East & Central Sacco) Support Groups, Maendeleo ya Wanawake, JOYWO and the National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) were sensitised on:

• The requirements to access Affirmative funds, LPO Financing and the various products for women financing
• Access to government procurement opportunities (AGPO) by Women, Youth and Persons with Disability, Gender and Disability Mainstreaming
• Formation of the County Women Savings and Credit Cooperative Society (SACCO) which is in the process of being established that will bring together over 15,000 women represented in 1220 women groups engaged in Poultry keeping, Bee keeping, Agri-business, Dairy products, Beadwork and table banking.
• Socio-economic opportunities available to the women and value addition of their group activities by Kenya Industrial Estates.

Six successful Women groups namely, Gotab Kor Sacco, Born to Excel, Shunnem, Sugutek Set Kotes, Sise Welfare and Chebunyo Yoghurt Self Help were given an opportunity to exhibit their products and services as a way of encouraging the other groups to grow beyond their current activities

Above left, Hon Laboso sampling beadwork products exhibited, middle with the CO Gender, Culture and Social ServicesMs. Clara and below addressing the women group leaders at Bethel AGC Sotik.

The Directorate is rolling out value addition training for the product and service areas identified above. Groups that need support have been profiled and the process of securing funds is ongoing. More support is desired from development partners and stakeholders in the women empowerment and poverty eradication sectors. The Directorate is in the process of consultation with UN Women, FEMNET, WE Effect, SDGs Kenya Forum, Women Empowerment Link, CREAW, Proctor & Gamble, Global Fund for Women and Global Call to Action Against Poverty to seek partnerships for implementation of programmes. Gender Programmes

1. Entreprenuership and value addition trainings
2. Support to Self Help Groups

• Monitoring compliance with 1/3 gender representation policy on appointments, promotions, and service delivery

1. Desegregation of gender data for planning

Over the years, majority of programs and projects have predominantly targeted one gender at a time. Though this has positive trickle effects, it also manifests general gender-related deficiencies and biases in some cases. Recent research has shown that boys and men have particularly been left behind in terms of gender-related programs and activities where majority of these projects target and emphasize on girl-child and women empowerment. The SHIFT Program is one of the innovative program implementation approaches designed by Bethel Network in collaboration with Proctor and Gamble with the objective of integrating boys and girls, men and women in an effort to advance Gender Mainstreaming and Analysis. The SHIFT Program is under Bethel Network’s Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Pillar in the Always Keeping Girls in School (AKGIS) Program and focuses on reaching and mentoring primary and secondary school going children, both boys and girls. The program engages adolescents through edutainment. This is facilitated by highly experienced facilitators employing highly experiential and participatory activities. The Directorate in collaboration with Ministry of Education, Teachers Service Commision, Department of Health and Bethel Network organised a two day mentorship training for 1000 peer counsellors and ToT for Guidance and Counselling teachers both primary and secondary schools from 23^rd – 26^th April 2018 . The participants were taken through the topics below extensively with the objective of enhancing Behavior Change Communication (BCC).

1. Life skills,
2. Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) entailing Puberty Education &Menstrual Hygiene Management
3. Gender based Violence,
4. Transformational Child Development,
5. Drugs, Alcohol and Substance Abuse,
6. Purpose and Identity
7. Basic Financial Literacy.

Participants going through the sessions on how to be game changers in the society for positive transformation

The program aims at targeting 4000 peer counsellors who shall then be used as agents of transformational change for the young people in Bomet County. The programme aims at equipping young people with the soft skills of life that enable them resist risk factors to their personal development.