Kenya

"Women's Advocacy Project-Gender Mainstreaming."

WOMEN'S ADVOCACY THROUGH FEDERATION OF WOMEN LAWYERS IN KENYA FIDA

The UN System in Kenya supports and contributes to increased social empowerment of women in the country and their participation in positions of leadership, and also builds the capacity of the government and non-governmental organizations for effective gender mainstreaming and good governance. UNDP has been working with FIDA- federation of women lawyers in Kenya to achieve this. Several workshops have been facilitated through FIDA. Click to access the FIDA website.

The project is presently supporting the following activities:

The establishment of gender friendly Police stations in one urban and one rural area of Kenya. Existing policy stations are being identified for strengthening to adequately address cases on gender violence without violating the rights of the victims. The project is managed by the Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA).

The training of medical personnel and police officers to appropriately handle cases of gender-based violence such as rape.

Developing community empowerment centers to serve as a one-stop shop for addressing gender issues and to create awareness for the elimination of domestic violence.

The training of parliamentarians and different levels of the judiciary of various human rights instruments and gender responsiveness.

The development of gender responsive community action plans on entrepreneurial activities.

The collection, documentation and dissemination of gender disaggregated data on violence.

The production and dissemination of radio and television programmes on gender violence, definitions, causes consequences and solutions.

Increase social empowerment of women and their participation in positions of leadership through the promotion of girl-child education.

WOMEN AND GENERAL ELECTIONS 2007

in support of these initiatives and enhanced representation of women in Parliament that Elizabeth Lwanga UNDP Resident Representative and several female Members of Parliament led by Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Martha Karua, met on 27 July 2007 to discuss equitable development of women’s enhanced representation in Parliament. Women's representation in parliament is currently at 7%.

League of Kenya Women Voters get Radio studio equipment (17 March 2005).

The "Initiative for Enhanced Participation of Women in Democratic Development" project which begun in 1999, aims to support participatory development, effective governance and democratic development by increasing the level and quality of participation of women in decision-making and democratic processes. The league Of Kenya Women Voters with support form UNDP-Kenya implements this project. A major component of the project is to develop and a gender sensitive education curriculum through a gender sensitive Civic education radio program. The objective is to change attitudes and practices hindering women's progress while empowering women with the information necessary to assert their rights and participate effectively in decision-making and democratic governance. Click to read speech.

Publication of Gender Mainstreaming Booklet

In 2005, the finalization and dissemination of a booklet:'Guidelines for tracking progress made in Gender Mainstreaming' (a collaborative effort between UNDP-Kenya and UNIFEM).

Launch of local Film 'Naliaka is Going'
“Naliaka is Going”, a 90-minute video feature, is the first Kenyan film to make an international theatrical release .A general exhibition film whose story is not just entertaining but contains a powerful message to young girls, was launched in Nairobi on 30 July 2004. Alwan Communications, a development media company, produced the film. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), contributed one million kenyan shillings through their gender mainstreaming and empowerment programme to support the production of this film. Click here for more details on the film.