The Speaker of the Senate, Rt Hon Kenneth Lusaka, has challenged women in leadership to enlist the support of male legislators through persuasive dialogue and articulation toward the realization of gender parity.

Delivering the keynote address at a pre-celebration breakfast for the International Women’s Day, Speaker Lusaka noted that women in leadership ought to use their positions to advance the interests of other women who aspire to be like them.

“Being in Parliament gives you the opportunity to further the dreams of all women in this country. It is the place where you strategize on how to champion and lobby for women interests in a male dominated Parliament,” said Lusaka.

He further acknowledged that while social constraints stunted gains in parity realization, the irreversible currents of women empowerment in Kenya was stirring strong commotion and that “the battle is not and shall not lost”.

On her part, Senate Majority Whip, Sen Susan Kihika, who hosted the breakfast, observed that 2020 is a pivotal year for advancing gender equality worldwide, as the global community takes stock of progress made towards advancement of women’s rights and reinforces strategies for accelerated realization of gender parity.

“As we celebrate the International Women's Day we will not only take stock of progress made in realizing the promises set out in these frameworks [Beijing Platform for Action and 10^th anniversary of the UN Women’s establishment] but it will make a call to action for accelerating gender equality,” said Sen Kihika, who is also President of the IPU Bureau of Women Parliamentarians.

The pre-celebration breakfast brought together 100 gender parity champions drawn from the three arms of Government, private sector and the diplomatic corps. International Women's Day is celebrated on 8 March and shall operate under the campaign theme #EachforEqual.