Adopt positive values, women tell young girls as world marks day

Wife of the former prime minister Idah Odinga who was the guest of honuor  poses with children from St. Teresa primary school during the International Day of the Girl Child celebrated by Eve-Sisters at Hilton. [PHOTO: JENIPHER WACHIE/STANDARD]

Kenya: The Standard Group joined the world in celebrating the International Day of the Girl Child 2014. The day, whose theme this year was “Empowering adolescent girls: Ending the cycle of violence”, was marked yesterday.

This, even as a woman, who is supposed to protect her own, assaulted her two teenage daughters with a hot knife, apparently for not doing house chores.

Through its Eve Sisters’ programme that has seen women meet and deliberate on issues affecting them, with the aim of empowering one another, Standard Group organised a special edition for the girl child, inviting several female students from more than 10 schools.

One of the schools represented at the event held at the Hilton Hotel, in Nairobi, was Machakos School for the Deaf, whose students presented a captivating poem in sign language.

Motivational speakers at the event included Ida Odinga, who is wife to former Prime Minister Raila Odinga. Sally Mahihu, Caroline Mutoko and Laimani Bidali also encouraged women and students at the event.

Mrs Odinga spoke on motherhood and its importance despite the challenges women face. Mrs Mahihu and Ms Bidali focused on self identity of the girl child and who a woman is supposed to be.

Ms Mutoko addressed the contorted media’s depiction of women, encouraging girls to respect their bodies and to understand the purpose for which they were created. She discouraged young women from allowing use, especially for commercial purposes, mostly in music videos and movies, of their nude images.

Eve Sisters resumes next month at a venue and date to be communicated.