Gender Justice & Women's Rights

Women’s limited participation in the social, economic and political processes in Kenya is majorly a factor of the historical patriarchal nature of the society. They are therefore faced with both systemic and cultural challenges in their bid to contribute to the County or National development agenda. Discriminatory social norms and gender stereotypes continue to be entertained in both formal and informal institutions thereby hindering progress towards gender equality.  A case in point is in the unequal participation and representation of women in political process, which has been informed by biased customs and stereotypes.

Women’s enjoyment of economic rights is also limited by the unequal distribution of resources, and limited access to factors of production, such as land and financial capital. There has been a positive shift in the social norms and practices that used to limit women’s access to education and their enjoyment of the right to employment and adequate standards of living. The challenge arises when the educated girls become women, and their ambitions of participating in leadership positions are blocked even though they are qualified. Social norms that condone violence against women and girls also prevent them from equal participation and full enjoyment of life. These entrenched social norms, practices and structural challenges, at all levels have created an environment of gender inequality that prevents the transformation of gender power relations that is necessary to realise the empowerment and advancement of women and girls.

Oxfam Kenya continues to pursue its commitment to promote sustained, widespread changes in attitudes, practices and beliefs about gender power relations to further women’s rights and gender justice. To achieve this, Oxfam aims to contribute to a significant increase in women’s participation in social, economic and political representation and influence in targeted decision-making processes to promote women’s rights in policy and practice. 

We aim to bring change at scale by first understanding and challenging key structural, institutional and deeply entrenched blockers of progress on women’s rights. To achieve this, we are working with women rights organisations, national networks, opinion shapers, including religious institutions to support shifts in attitudes, challenge and change power relations at the household, community and national levels. 

• Transformed Kenyan society where power, resources, and opportunities are more equitably shared. This transformation is marked by increased and sustained participation of women in political processes and decision-making spaces at all levels. Women not only occupy leadership positions but actively shape policies and agendas that drive Kenya’s sociopolitical and economic development.
• Shift in public knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions regarding gender equality. We anticipate a society where gender-inclusive values are not only espoused but consistently practiced in homes, workplaces, governance structures, and cultural institutions. This includes men and boys playing active roles in challenging patriarchy and championing gender justice
• Society free from gender-based violence, where women and girls can fully enjoy their rights, express themselves freely, and access justice without fear or limitation. This requires dismantling systemic barriers and strengthening protection, prevention, and accountability mechanisms.
• Increased entrepreneurial participation and ownership by women, especially those historically excluded. It involves not just access to markets or capital but the creation of equitable business environments where women thrive as innovators, employers, and economic leaders, ultimately contributing to a just and inclusive economy.
• Increased women's participation in political processes and more women holding positions of leadership to contribute to the development of socio-political and economic growth of Kenya.

Our gender programmes focus on women's rights, economic empowerment, and social justice, targeting systemic inequalities through a feminist, rights-based approach.

This is a four-year initiative funded by Oxfam America. The project seeks to increase the participation, influence, and leadership of women and young women in decision-making processes at community, county, and national levels.

Working with women's rights organisations, government institutions, elected leaders, and community structures, the project supports women and young women to participate meaningfully in governance and public life. It promotes civic and political participation, strengthens women's leadership, and addresses social, cultural, and institutional barriers that limit women's access to leadership and decision-making spaces.

The project aims to contribute to more inclusive and accountable governance systems where women and young women can exercise their rights, influence decisions that affect their lives, and shape development priorities within their communities and beyond.

The Women's Rights Fund (WRF) is a multi-year initiative funded by Oxfam Great Britain (OGB) that supports women's rights organisations to advance gender equality and the rights of women and girls. The fund provides flexible financial and technical support to strengthen women's rights organisations, enhance their sustainability, and enable them to respond to the priorities and needs of the communities they serve.

Working with grassroots and national women's rights organisations, the fund supports initiatives that address gender-based violence, promote women's leadership and participation, advance women's economic justice, and strengthen advocacy for women's rights. The fund also invests in organisational development to strengthen the effectiveness, resilience, and long-term sustainability of women's rights organisations.

The fund aims to contribute to a stronger and more vibrant women's rights movement capable of influencing policies, institutions, and social norms to advance gender justice and women's rights.

The WE-Care Project is a programme funded by the Hewlett Foundation that seeks to recognise, reduce, and redistribute unpaid and underpaid care work, which is disproportionately carried out by women and girls. The project works to address the unequal responsibility for care by promoting practical solutions that reduce the time and effort spent on care work while challenging the social norms that place the burden of care primarily on women.

Working with communities, women's groups, local organisations, government institutions, and private sector actors, the project promotes shared responsibility for care within households, communities, workplaces, and public institutions. It also supports the integration of care issues into planning, budgeting, and policy processes to ensure that care is recognised as a critical gender equality and development issue.

The project aims to contribute to women's economic empowerment, increased participation in leadership and decision-making, and improved wellbeing by reducing the unequal care burden and creating an enabling environment for a more equitable sharing of care responsibilities.

The Time to Care Project is a multi-year initiative funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) that seeks to address the unequal distribution of unpaid and underpaid care work, which disproportionately falls on women and girls. The project works to increase the recognition of care work as a critical social and economic issue while promoting the redistribution of care responsibilities within households, communities, institutions, and the private sector.

Working with communities, women's rights organisations, government institutions, private sector actors, and other stakeholders, the project promotes care-responsive policies, services, and practices that reduce the care burden on women and girls. It also supports efforts to strengthen evidence, influence policy, and challenge harmful social norms that reinforce unequal care responsibilities.

The project aims to contribute to a society where care is valued, shared more equally, and supported through responsive policies and public services, enabling women and girls to participate more fully in economic, social, and political life.