First Lady Rachel Ruto has held talks with Namibia’s former First Lady Monica Geingos on efforts to improve the welfare of women and children and strengthen families.
Rachel said the two held an engaging exchange on the experiences and aspirations of women and children, with the meeting focusing on lessons that could strengthen their respective initiatives.
“I met with H.E. Monica Geingos, former First Lady of Namibia, for an engaging exchange on the experiences and aspirations of women and children,” Rachel said in a statement.
She said the two discussed ways of empowering women and girls, supporting children and strengthening families.
“Our efforts to empower women and girls, support children and strengthen families are enriched by learning from the lessons of our respective initiatives,” she added.
The meeting comes as both leaders continue to champion programmes targeting women and children.
Rachel has focused her advocacy on women’s economic empowerment, children’s welfare, school meals and clean cooking, among other initiatives.
The Office of the First Lady says her work seeks to place women and children at the centre of Kenya’s development agenda.
Geingos, who served as Namibia’s First Lady, has also remained active in global health advocacy.
She is the incoming chair of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH) Board and recently called for stronger accountability to ensure commitments on women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health translate into financing and measurable results.
The discussions therefore provided an opportunity for the two leaders to share experiences on initiatives targeting women, children and families.
Rachel’s latest engagement comes days after she urged Kenyan women to play a greater role in economic empowerment, saying strong families and empowered women contribute to stronger communities and the country’s development.
The meeting was held on the sidelines of activities around the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where issues affecting women and children remain part of the wider development agenda.
