Kenya's Battle for Women's Rights, Poverty Eradication, and Equality

In the heart of Kenya, a nation renowned for its breathtaking landscapes and vibrant cultures, there exists a darker reality, a harsh truth that cannot be ignored. In a recent report, Kenya has been ranked among the worst countries for women to live in, standing at position 149 out of 177, trailing behind its East African neighbors.

This ranking is not merely a statistic; it's a stark reminder of the pervasive challenges that women face daily - poverty, gender-based violence, and deep-seated social inequalities. It is a cry for help and a call to action that resonates with the very soul of this nation.

These are the findings from 2023 Women, Peace and Security (WPS) report on a research done by the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security and PRIO.

Well, as a Kenyan, coming from an indigenous community with lived experience in Poverty, Social Inequalities and GBV ,I decided to become a #certified #SDG #expert at Impaakt inorder to understand deeply the root causes and solutions to these problems. I decided to work on SDG 1-5 as well as 16 since I am a #religiousminority.

Kenya's current ranking as the worst country for women to live in highlights urgent concerns:

📍Widespread poverty denies women access to essential resources.

📍Gender-based violence (GBV) continues to plague their daily lives, with inadequate protection and support.

📍Social inequalities persist, hindering women's opportunities for education and economic empowerment.

We urge the UNWomen to help us take immediate action to address these pressing issues and improve the lives of women in Kenya.

Kenya's Vision 2030 is still on the course as there have been failures resulting from political interferences, inadequate resource allocation, rapid inflation, inadequate funding for SDGs in the three pillars of the vision (social, economic and political).

According to USAID Kenya, Women and adolescent girls are the most vulnerable group in Kenya. They are particularly vulnerable to poverty especially at the household and community is exacerbated by gender-based violence, harmful cultural attitudes and beliefs around gender roles, norms and female empowerment. (https://www.usaid.gov/kenya/document/gender-equality-female-empowerment-kenya#:~:text=Women%20and%20adolescent%20girls%20are,roles%2C%20norms%20and%20female%20empowerment.)

The results from a study led by local PEP researchers show that 44% of all women in Kenya are poor in at least one dimension, and that 95% of multi-dimensionally poor women live in rural areas.

To promote SDG 1&2, I engage in Sustainable Agribusiness in my community which has also become a challenge due to seasonal uncertainties and inadequate funding and resources. See the work in the link:

https://lnkd.in/dpkTWbUN

https://lnkd.in/dkBfdzTK

The challenges women face in remote farming community are access to clean water, poor seed stocks and lack of technological know-how needed to improve rural livelihoods. Women comprise a large proportion of the agricultural labor force in Sub-Saharan Africa, ranging from 30 to 80 percent.

I call for SDG promoter organisations like IFAD, FAO and YOSA to help us get more initiatives that will save Kenyan women and girls for our future generation.

Inconclusion, Kenya needs more of effective policy making for an impact economy while promoting Women Empowerment through Entrepreneurship to eradicate poverty and social inequalities. My heart bleeds for Kenyan Women.