Kenya Network of Women and Girls with Disabilities

Ramadhana is a young, disabled, university student. She recently vied for a leadership position in the University Student Union (Women Students Welfare Association). ‘We must be bold enough to go for these positions,” says Ramadhana, conviction in her voice. While she did not win the position she vied for, Ramadhana mentioned two other roles that she took up at the University, adding that she believes that leadership is not just in positions and titles but in everyday living.  Ramadhana is one among tens of students that we have engaged with in the past two years in a project where we sought to nurture the leadership skills of young girls and women with disabilities in institutions of learning. Whereas we centered young girls/women with disabilities, our project also engaged their teachers and parents. Considering not just our lived experiences as women with disabilities, we know the key role our families and communities play in how we acquire and exercise leadership. In a learning...

The Kenya Network of Women and Girls with Disabilities grieves with the family, friends and community of 31-year-old Mejumaa Mwaguni, a Deaf woman from Kinango, Kwale County who was brutally murdered. Media reports indicate that Mejumaa went missing from her rented house on June 3, after which her body was later discovered naked and abandoned on the outskirts of Kwale Town on the evening of June 14. We condemn this killing. We call for justice for Mejumaa and all victims of Gender Based Violence including femicide.  Women and girls with disabilities are listed in the report of the Technical Working Group on Gender-Based Violence including Femicide  among population groups who face systemic neglect or social stigma, that results in invisibility and impunity when abuse occurs. The report further notes that women and girls with disabilities face isolation, communication barriers, and dependency, which abusers exploit since the likelihood of the victims reporting is hindered....

"The headteacher looked at me and said I would scare the children away." Those words changed the course of one woman's life.After completing her Diploma in Education, a young woman with albinism walked into a school hopeful about beginning her teaching career.Instead of being judged on her qualifications, she was subjected to discrimination based solely on her appearance.The degrading remark from the headteacher shattered her confidence and left her questioning whether any employer would ever give her a chance.Faced with exclusion, she turned to self-employment as a means of survival. Sadly, her story is not unique. For many women and girls with disabilities in Kenya, barriers to employment, leadership, and participation remain a daily reality. Yet their resilience and determination continue to drive change in their communities. This reality was at the heart of the launch of the Green Transition Initiative and Community Advocacy Activities in Korogocho, Nairobi, held on 1...

As a recipient of a grant under the Meaningful Engagement - Transformative Action (META) consortium, our member NONDO ( Northern Nomadic Disabled Persons Organization ) has launched a project on making the green transition inclusive of women with disabilities in Isiolo County. This is the first of two county project launches, with the second one happening in Nairobi County in June 2026. META is a joint initiative by African Women’s Development and Communication Network ( FEMNET ), the Coalition for Sustainable Development ( SDGs Kenya Forum ), and Women Engage for a Common Future International ( WECF ) with support from the European Union Delegation in Kenya . “We are honoured to be implementing this climate justice-related advocacy project in Isiolo County. There is so much that needs to be highlighted on how women with disabilities from pastoralist communities navigate and lead conversations on the green transition,” said Fatma Mohammed, the CEO of NONDO.   The Isiolo launch bro...

The Network was represented at the 87th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights by two delegates. In this statement, we acknowledge the support we have received from partners to be present in a regional advocacy space.   As women with disabilities, we wish to acknowledge the important role played by persons with disabilities and their representative organizations at the grassroots, national, regional, and global levels in amplifying the voices of women with disabilities and ensuring our visibility and recognition.  Although women with disabilities have increasingly occupied development spaces, they are still far from realizing their full potential and fully enjoying their fundamental rights as provided for in various legal instruments. To draw attention to these issues during the 87th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the Kenya Network of Women and Girls with Disabilities and Women Challenged to Challe...

In this blog, Rose Resiato shares updates from a recent engagement where Rural Women Voices CBO held a teachers' and parents' engagement aimed at strengthening the role of educators and caregivers in nurturing leadership among girls with disabilities. R ead the first part of this continuing engagement, in a process meant to strengthen the leadership capabilities of young girls with disabilities.  'Empowering girls with disabilities to become confident leaders requires the support of not only schools but also families and communities, says Rose, adding, 'The initiative forms part of broader efforts to empower school-going girls with disabilities to grow into future leaders in our communities." Strengthening Inclusion through Training The engagement brought together teachers and parents in a learning and dialogue session focused on improving inclusion and leadership opportunities for girls with disabilities, both at school and at home.  Participants were trained on ...