Women's Voice and Leadership - Kenya - Response to Coronavirus (COVID-19)

In response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic the project is supporting women’s rights organizations (WROs) to combat the harmful effects the response is having on women’s rights in Kenya including sexual and gender-based violence. The project is also supporting a unique and innovative networking structure: a COVID-19 Rapid Response Virtual Centre for WROs and CSOs in Kenya. This project is part of Canada’s Women’s Voice and Leadership Program which supports local and regional women’s organisations and networks that are working to promote women’s rights and advance women’s empowerment and gender equality in developing countries. This is done by supporting activities building institutional capacity and promoting network and alliance-building as women’s rights and feminist organizations are critical agents of change. The Program also responds to the globally recognized significant gap in funding and support to women’s rights organizations and movements around the world. The project implemented by CARE Canada supports approximately 120 women’s rights organizations across Kenya. The project helps them improve their structures programming and capacity to deliver quality services in order to promote women’s and girls’ rights and equal opportunities for all. It also strengthens the effectiveness of women’s rights platforms in Kenya.

The COVID-19 activities contribute to the project's expected outcomes of: (1) enhanced performance of women’s rights organizations’ programming and advocacy to advance gender equality and empower women and girls; and (3) increased effectiveness of sub-national and national women’s rights platforms networks and alliances to affect policy legal and social change in Kenya.