Mombasa: The Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) marked International Women’s Day with a solid commitment to promoting women’s rights. As part of their efforts, KPA’s women employees donated postpartum care products to new mothers and survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) at the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital (CGTRH).
According to Kenya News Agency, this year’s International Women’s Day theme, For All Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment, resonated sturdily with the KPA team. The women employees, dressed in blue knee-length dresses, brought warmth to the maternity wing of the hospital. KPA Administration Manager Catherine Wangari emphasized that the donation is part of their ongoing corporate social investment program to the largest referral hospital in the coast region. She highlighted that KPA is dedicated to strengthening its ties with CGTRH and supporting vulnerable women.
The sanitary donation came from KPA women employees, with the support of their Managing Director, Captain William Ruto. ‘They have given us the time, energy, and space to do this. On behalf of KPA, we are giving this donation to the maternity wing and Gender Based Violence (GBV) ward victims,’ said Wangari. The administration manager noted that KPA believes in women, boasting of 1376 women employees in various cadres working alongside their male counterparts in improving port efficiency.
Wangari stated that KPA has put programs in place to ensure equity and equality for employees. She further expounded that the Authority has a program aimed at combating GBV and promoting women to senior positions. ‘As you’re all aware, KPA is a labor-intensive industry, and we pride ourselves on having some of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs,’ she said. ‘We are among the few organizations that have a pioneer female Marine Pilot for Kenya. We also have engineers among those male-dominated professionals,’ she added. She reiterated the authority’s commitment to improving the welfare of women employees.
CGTRH Director of Nursing Salome Rajab praised KPA for their generosity, noting that the gifts brought joy to new mothers, many of whom face challenges such as delayed discharge and family issues. ‘Your presence and these gifts will also enlighten their mood, and they will be happy. As a hospital, we appreciate your thoughts, and we welcome this thought not for this day only, but keep coming so that we support our mothers,’ stated Rajab. Nancy Atieno, a new mother who gave birth to a preterm baby girl, shared her struggles with depression and preterm delivery. She urged KPA to extend their support by offering regular hospital visits and counseling services for patients.