Women leaders led by Gender and Youth Affairs Cabinet Secretary Prof Margaret Kobia have called for the empowerment of both boys and girls.
Speaking during a meeting held at a Lowlands Hotel in Chuka town, Tharaka Nithi County, the leaders said that the society has directed all its energy towards empowering the girl child forgetting the boys.
Prof Kobia who was accompanied by Tharaka Nithi County Commissioner Ms Beverly Opwora, Tharaka Nithi County Education, Gender and Youth executive, Ms Sheila Kiganka and nominated MCA Millicent Mugana among others said that a time had come for society to think about the boy child.
Prof Kobia said that it doesn’t mean that girls should be empowered at the expense of the boys since mothers endeavor to see all her children succeed in life.
“Both girls and boys should be empowered because there can never be a balanced society with one endowed gender,” said Prof Kobia.
She said boys as young as 14 years are dropping from school to join Bodaboda industry among other small business leaving girls pursuing education.
Ms Kiganka and Ms Mugana said it’s the high time both the government and non-governmental organizations come up with empowerment programs that target both boys and girls.
