Nairobi — Kenya can guarantee equal rights to men and women through the National Commission on Gender and Development, a Cabinet minister has said.

Through participation in next year's referendum on a new constitution, women can assert their demand for equal access to all government services and opportunities, Gender, Children and Social Development minister Esther Murugi has said.

Speaking at the Nairobi Hilton Hotel on Tuesday evening when she launched the commission's five-year strategic plan, the minister said it was time Kenya set an example in gender equality.

Equal society

"We can make Kenya an equal society. We need our men to join forces with us in making this a reality," she said.

She, however, brushed aside proposals in the draft constitution to place the commission under the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights. The Commission was established in 2003.

The strategic plan for 2008-2012 lays out five key areas for intervention, including addressing gender inequality in access to economic opportunities, political appointments, and access to social services.

United Nations Development Programme resident representative, Aeneas Chuma, called for more investment in areas that can yield quick results in gender empowerment.