https://en.sputniknews.africa/20240502/big-win-kenyas-ruto-appoints-first-ever-female-air-force-chief-1066342378.html
'Big Win': Kenya's Ruto Appoints First-Ever Female Air Force Chief
'Big Win': Kenya's Ruto Appoints First-Ever Female Air Force Chief
Sputnik Africa
Fatuma Gaiti Ahmed has had a prominent military career of over 40 years. Six years ago, she became the first Kenyan female major general; however, her career... 02.05.2024, Sputnik Africa
2024-05-02T18:34+0200
2024-05-02T18:34+0200
2024-05-02T18:57+0200
sub-saharan africa
kenya
william ruto
east africa
women
gender equality
uhuru kenyatta
liberia
democratic republic of the congo (drc)
military
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William Ruto, the president of Kenya, appointed Major General Fatuma Gaiti Ahmed as the air force's first female commander.Ahmed had already achieved other notable milestones in military leadership; she was the first woman to attain the ranks of brigadier and major general.In 1983, she enlisted in the military and served in the Women Service Corps, an exclusively female unit that functioned independently of the other branches of the defense forces. They served as an auxiliary service, providing help in several areas such as administrative work, logistics, medical assistance, and communication, the media reported.In 1999, the unit was dissolved, granting its members the opportunity to join the primary branches of the military, namely the navy, air force, and army.Upon her promotion to the rank of major general in 2018, then President Uhuru Kenyatta expressed his expectation for her "to be a positive role model to other women in this republic and to show and prove to them that there are no limits for Kenyan women."Ahmed has previously said that her decision to join the military was influenced by her uncle, who served there, according to the media. She admired his discipline and hard work, which "shaped my life from a very early stage."In 2018, she revealed that certain members of her family dissuaded her from joining the military, saying that it was not a suitable career for women.More and more women are holding high ranks in African countries. Last month, Felix Tshisekedi, the president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, appointed Judith Tuluka Suminwa as the nation's first female prime minister.In February, Liberia also made history by appointing its first female Minister of Defense, Brigadier General Geraldine Janet George.Last September, General Brigitte Onganoa became the first woman to be defense minister in Gabon.
https://en.sputniknews.africa/20240402/dr-congo-appoints-first-female-prime-minister-1065878036.html
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kenya, william ruto, east africa, women, gender equality, uhuru kenyatta, liberia, democratic republic of the congo (drc), military
'Big Win': Kenya's Ruto Appoints First-Ever Female Air Force Chief
18:34 02.05.2024 (Updated: 18:57 02.05.2024) Christina Glazkova
Writer / Editor
Fatuma Gaiti Ahmed has had a prominent military career of over 40 years. Six years ago, she became the first Kenyan female major general; however, her career path did not stop there.
William Ruto, the president of Kenya, appointed Major General Fatuma Gaiti Ahmed as the air force's first
female commander.
"The appointment of Major General Fatuma Gaiti goes down in history as the first to have ever been made, as she becomes the first woman to be at the helm of any service in the Armed Forces. This is a big win for Kenyan women and a major motivation for young women and girls aiming for similar positions," a press release by Kenya's ministry of gender, culture, the arts and heritage stated.
Ahmed had already achieved other notable milestones in
military leadership; she was the first woman to attain the ranks of brigadier and major general.
In 1983, she enlisted in the military and served in the Women Service Corps, an exclusively female unit that functioned independently of the other branches of the defense forces. They served as an auxiliary service, providing help in several areas such as administrative work, logistics,
medical assistance, and communication, the media reported.
In 1999, the unit was dissolved, granting its members the opportunity to join the primary branches of the military, namely the navy, air force, and army.
Upon her promotion to the rank of major general in 2018, then President Uhuru Kenyatta
expressed his expectation for her "to be a positive role model to other women in this republic and to show and prove to them that there are no limits for Kenyan women."
Ahmed has previously said that her decision to join the
military was influenced by her uncle, who served there, according to the media. She admired his discipline and hard work, which "shaped my life from a very early stage."
In 2018, she
revealed that certain members of her family dissuaded her from joining the military, saying that it was not a suitable career for women.
"But I was determined to make a difference in my life," she was quoted as saying.
More and more women are holding high ranks in African countries. Last month, Felix Tshisekedi, the president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, appointed Judith Tuluka Suminwa as the nation's first female prime minister.
In February, Liberia also made history by appointing its first female Minister of Defense, Brigadier General
Geraldine Janet George.
Last September, General
Brigitte Onganoa became the first woman to be defense minister in Gabon.
