Our Impact
COVAW’s work has left and continues to leave immeasurable impact in the communities we work in, from changing norms, perceptions, and attitudes that support SGBV and helping survivors access justice, to the economic empowerment of vulnerable women, the strengthening of actors’ capacities to prevent and respond to SGBV, and influencing laws and policies that support gender equality in Kenya.
Examples of our impact include:
- In 2020, COVAW filed a Strategic Litigation case challenging the constitutionality of Section 146 of the Penal Code that referred to persons with intellectual disabilities as “idiots and imbeciles.” As a result of our advocacy work, the section was amended to refer to persons with mental illnesses.
- Under The Girl Generation-African Led Movement to End FGM/C (TGG-ALM), COVAW built the capacity of four grassroots organizations on leadership and governance, financial management, communications, and advocacy, among other areas. One organization, Ewang’wan CBO, was able to grow from a small grantee to a medium grantee, attracting larger funding to further its mission.
- In Kwale County, COVAW, under the Tupo. Tusikizwe project, supported women and persons with disabilities to participate in the county public participation forums. As a result, 32 of their proposals were adopted in the 2022/2023 financial year. This has led to the prioritization of the needs of women and persons with disabilities, including through the construction of hospitals, water points, and ECD centers.
