Kenya Network of Women and Girls with Disabilities

As Kenya Network of Women and Girls with Disabilities,we join the globe to mark 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence(GBV).We are #UnitedtoEndGBV and put emphasis on #WomenwithDisabilitiesAgainstGBV. We join together with partners across the Women Gaining Ground Consortium through CREA   in making a collective call to find inclusive approaches of preventing and eliminating gender based violence against women and girls, including those whose voices continue to remain at the margins, such as women and girls with disabilities. We recognise that GBV experiences have similarities across our diversities as women and girls. We also acknowledge the different experiences across these diversities including those of women and girls with disabilities. Recently, the United Nations Independent Expert on Protection Against Violence and Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, re

Hon. Dennitah Ghati, HSC  Hon. Dennitah Ghati, HSC is a well-known gender, women’s rights and disability rights advocate in Kenya, East Africa and beyond. Up until August 2022, Hon. Ghati was a specially elected Member of Parliament for Persons with Disabilities in the Kenya National Assembly. Previously, she was elected Women Representative for Migori County 2013-2017. A recipient of the 2021  Shujaaz Awards  for her exemplary work in promoting the Welfare of Persons with Disabilities, Hon. Dennitah Ghati is also former President of the Commonwealth Parliamentarians with Disabilities Network, a network of 56 Legislatures of the Commonwealth spanning across Africa, Asia, Pacific, Pakistan, the Europe and the Caribbean. Hon. Dennitah Ghati currently sits on the Advisory Board of the Centre for Commonwealth Affairs, UK - a pan-Commonwealth think tank working with partners and members across the Commonwealth to improve on global issues. Lucy Mulombi  Lucy is a grassroot disability inclusi

Early this year, many of us in our Network had a chance to share space with Hon. Godliver Omondi, nominated Member of County Assembly (MCA) Kakamega County. Hon. Godliver was among 5 mentors, all who are women with disabilities who have been in leadership many years now and who joined our Champions as a Mentor in our  Ford Foundation grant.   About a week ago, Hon. Godliver joined the Kakamega Champions in their community engagement work and we were all really happy to see her in the photos that the team shared from Kakamega.  And just this evening, on 13 th   Nov 2023, we are faced with such sad news, that Hon Godliver is no more. That she has passed on. And we feel so deeply pained, utterly shocked and in our tears, in our pain, we are remembering her.We are writing down a few words.To remember her. To honour her. To offer strength to our wavering spirits. To remind ourselves that there is a gap Hon Godliver is leaving behind. But that we are here, to hold her, to hold onto her memor

Mildred stands by a banner   The first ever Africa Climate Summit is ongoing in Nairobi, Kenya and indeed an opportune moment to also consider what the disability space is within this hugely important summit. “Accessibility, accreditation and issuance of badges were major barriers for participation of persons with disabilities in the Summit,”  said Mildred Omino who thankfully managed to access the event and attended a side event on Women and Girls leading Climate  Action (albeit late because of accessibility challenges!). “I had received my invitation letter and I knew everything was set for me to attend the event,” said Elizabeth Ombati. “But when I  went to pick my badge, somehow they couldn’t print it for me. The  person sitting behind the computer told me that my application  had  not been approved, and that is how I lost my chance to attend  the Summit in person.” Two other colleagues from the Network, with badges, did not attend the Summit due to fears they could be turne

The Kenya Network of Women and Girls with Disabilities is one among other implementing partners in the Women Gaining Ground (WGG) Consortium through CREA. WGG program activities are focused on preventing and eliminating sexual and gender-based violence against women and girls, including those with disabilities as well as strengthening women’s leadership and women’s political participation in decision-making. The Network’s activities in Kenya focus on these broad themes. Since 2022, we have worked   and intend on working with 20 women with disabilities, champions, from across several counties namely Nairobi, Kitui, Busia, Kajiado, Machakos, Isiolo, Mandera, Meru, Nyeri,   and Mombasa in Kenya to engage state and non-state duty bearers at community level in addressing violence against women and girls with disabilities. Our work is also informed by the CEDAW Committee’s recommendations to Kenya: Protect women and girls with disabilities from all forms of violence and ensure that the pe

As the Kenya Network of Women and Girls with Disabilities continues to amplify the experiences of women and girls with disabilities within leadership and governance spaces, through support from the  Ford Foundation ,the Network has embarked on a campaign that seeks to showcase the experiences of 40 women and girls with disabilities from across four counties namely Kakamega, Kisumu, Nairobi, and Mombasa in Kenya. The leadership journey is not without its struggles.It can get more difficult for women and girls with disabilities who often have to navigate different barriers within their environments. Leadership experiences are not limited to certain spaces.Our women with disabilities are therefore in leadership and different spaces.They are in political leadership;they are village ward administrators, they are activists and champion the rights of women and girls with disabilities in different spaces. What common characteristics do they have? They are women with disabilities who are bother