matter the profession, Our community now knows that women can become any thing they aspire to including but not limited to being a member of parliament and more important are leaders and can provide leadership. This was not possible in 1997 but is possible now. What has helped me through out this process is to keep faith in God and to keep hope alive. Perseverance, patience and persistence not matter the challenge a head has kept my focus and so are the belief in one's ability and sense of community. It is hard to imagine that this could be possible in 1997. Today, I am the chairperson and the first woman in the Kenyan parliament to lead a major parliamentary committee. As the chairperson of the parliamentary committee of labor and social welfare, I oversee and provide legislative oversight to six ministries namely, ministry of special programs, ministry of youth and sports; office of the vice president and the ministry of corrections, ministry of gender and children and the ministry of labor. If I could achieve this I don't see why other minority women in the world cannot achieve..Certainly, my two young daughters who are in college are growing up to believe that minority women are no less women and can achieve whatever. they aspire to and I am glad to provide a good role model for them. Let us all believe in ourselves and in our abilities to succeed and what we will need from the world will be the creation of equal opportunities for all regardless of one's background and status in society. YES WE CAN. Minority women operate in environments of unfriendly laws, policies and negative attitudes. By nature, they are few and often lack negotiation power, unity and the capacity to succeed in such environment. The electoral process in most African countries are corrupt and minority women lack resources to be elected and the voters are mostly illiterate and marginalized. Minority women lack the numbers and the capacity to enact