Restoring Dignity: A Win for Women with Disabilities in Kenya

For years, intellectually challenged women and girls in Kenya have faced systemic discrimination, not just from society but also from the very laws meant to protect them. Until 2024, Section 146 of the Penal Code and Section 125(2) of the Evidence Act referred to intellectually challenged individuals using derogatory terms such as “idiots” and “imbeciles”.

Intellectually Challenged Women and Girls Project- Nairobi and Kiambu

The project’s overall goal is to enhance access to justice for intellectually challenged victims and survivors of Sexual and Gender Based Violence through integrated legal and psychosocial support service provision.This  is  achieved vide: direct legal aid and psychosocial support provision to victims and survivors of Sexual and Gender Based Violence, with a specific focus on the especially […]

Tupo Tusikizwe: Gender-Responsive Budgeting in Kwale County, Kenya

Participatory gender-responsive budgeting and community scorecards provide women, including those with disabilities, platforms to present their collective interests to policymakers, influence more inclusive budgetary allocation and improve service delivery in Kwale County, Kenya.

Highlights From the Fourth Quarter

As we reflect on this past quarter, we are grateful for your unwavering dedication and commitment to COVAW’s mission. Together, we have witnessed remarkable growth this year, with transformative progress in our projects across multiple counties.

Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, Elections and Responsibilities

12,424 ‘missing’ candidates are more than just numbers

Salute to Kenyan women who triumphed in the elections

Severely Mutilated Bodies Discovered in Mukuru kwa Njenga

The Coalition on Violence Against Women (COVAW) expresses profound sadness and outrage over the unfolding discovery of multiple bodies at the Kware dumpsite in Nairobi’s Mukuru kwa Njenga informal settlement. During a press statement held yesterday, Acting Police Inspector General Douglas Kanja stated that eight bodies had been recovered as of July 13, 2024. Preliminary investigations indicate that all the recovered bodies are female.

Behind Bars, Not Behind Doors!

The recent, horrifying killing of Starlet Wahu, 26 year old and an unidentified 24-year-old woman who was found murdered in Roysambu is a clear reminder of the femicide crisis plaguing Kenya, where women are not safe.

Chilling statistics from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reveal that over 81,000 women were internationally killed in 2021, with a staggering 56% murdered by intimate partners or family members. In Kenya, the situation is no less alarming. According to the National Crime Research Centre, a woman loses her life to an intimate partner or family member every 48 hours. The KDHS 2022 report shows that 28% of women aged 15- 49 who have ever had a husband or intimate partner have experienced physical, sexual, or emotional violence. This data echoes the Kenyan reality, where the majority of femicides are often fueled by a mix of harmful gender norms, unequal power dynamics, and impunity for perpetrators.

The Right to remain uncut

“Before my parents, before my family and before my village-I declare my right to remain uncut. To keep my body whole and free from tetanus infection and HIV. Free from harm, violence and pain so that girls like me across the world can remain in school. Be married when I want and be part of a new generation-That is born uncut and free to live unharmed.”