Kenya prides herself of a very progressive constitution and robust legal frameworks guaranteeing women’s rights. However, in practice, the realization of these rights is still a challenge for many women, especially those in rural communities. This is due to pervasive harmful cultural practices and social norms, limited awareness on rights, as well as inadequate representation of women in decision-making spaces thereby negating their efforts to speak and share their lived realities.
Inequitable access to land for women, families and communities creates conflict and violence, undermines conservation and economic development efforts, diminishes a stable living environment and access to adequate housing, and reduces food security. Capacity strengthening on gender transformative approaches to land governance, including succession and inheritance processes, is therefore a critical tool to alter the status quo whilst ensuring meaningful inclusion of women into these decision-making spaces
On 20th and 21st January 2025, KELIN hosted 30 women drawn from Siaya sub-counties for a bootcamp training aimed at championing for women’s land’s rights at the community level. The workshop focused on women as change agents and the significance of their inclusion in leadership roles. In explaining the precincts of law and disconnect in practice as well as identifying protection gaps, the training sought to revamp existing and new strategic partnerships for a women’s rights movements at the grassroot level towards gender transformative approaches that would result in more equitable land and property governance.
As a result of the meeting, the Siaya women caucus is now reignited for gendered rights advocacy on women and land rights with the county. This would entail movement building and the galvanizing of women champions into leadership positions to monitor, intervene and refer cases of rights violations within the networks created for sustainable interventions . KELIN will continue to support the grassroot networks on land rights and women’s inclusion at all levels of decision making to ensure an equitable future for all.
To contribute to the discussions on this forum, follow KELIN on our social media platforms: Twitter: @KELINKenya, Facebook: @kelinkenya
The Hashtags relevant to this discussion are: #EquitableLandRights #StrategicPartnerships #WLPRights
For more information, please contact:
Kenneth Akach
Programme Officer.
P O Box 112 – 00202 KNH Nairobi,
Tel: 020, 2515790 │Mobile: +254790339964
E-mail: kotieno@kelinkenya.org
Website: www.kelinkenya.org
