Gender Democracy

The Gender Component contributes to the transformation of gender relations in Kenya and the region in order to realize human rights for all members of society. Our main focus areas enhance women’s effective political participation in Kenya, challenge patriarchy and democratic rollback in the region from a feminist perspective, and amplify gender and sexual minority rights through regional networking, learning processes, capacity building, awareness creation, research and documentation of experiences of women leaders. The programme also builds knowledge and facilitates discourse on gender diversity.

Decentralization and inclusion in Kenya: From pre-colonial times to the first decade of devolution.

Publication

Kabarak University and Heinrich Boell Foundation published a book dubbed “Decentralisation and inclusion in Kenya: From pre-colonial times to the first decade of devolution”. The publication is a result of a research that evaluated the first era of devolution (2012 – 2022). The critical focus on devolution and its impact on minority groups.

How much more do we have to do?

Article

The consequences of patriarchy ripple through all levels and corners of society. We are aware of the consequences and unaware of others. Patriarchy is defined as a social or political system that has chosen to identify men as superior to women. This enables an unjust system that promotes violence against the latter gender in all spaces, be it at home, the workplace, streets, online or even inside religions. Patriarchy serves men with toxic entitlement towards women.

All articles on gender democracy

Recent Publications

Perspectives #01/2021: African Feminisms Across Generations

New Publication

This special edition of Perspectives reflects on, analyzes and documents the evolution of African feminisms and feminist action that African activists have taken up to address both old as well as persistent and new threats to women’s rights and gender justice. It also reflects on lessons learned from African feminist practices for current and future generations across the region.

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No Roses From My Mouth:Poems From Prison By Stella Nyanzi

New Book

Stella Nyanzi’s No Roses From My Mouth includes 159 poems written in 2019 and 2020 from Luzira Women’s Prison in Kampala, Uganda during a trial and serving time for cyber-harassing and offending the President of Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in a poem where she uses his dead mother’s vagina as an image to comment on her son’s "oppression, suppression and repression" of Ugandans. This poetry collection includes poems "written by an activist who uses the space of incarceration and the time of detention to reflect on the conditions of being incarcerated itself", the position of the woman in society, and the political conditions of the Ugandan state.

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All publication on gender democracy

Our Programs

Gender Democratic Change

Motherhood in the time of Coronavirus

Video Story

The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened many of the challenges that mothers around the world face as the global health threat and resulting economic downturn have created a caregiving crisis that has disproportionately affected women and motherhood.

Challenging Patriarchy

The Black Ribbon

Article

Social justice is getting more complex as injustices keep emerging and the world develops. This is in comparison to the 19th century, during the civil revolution where social justice only aimed to create more egalitarian societies and capitalised exploitation of human labour.

Sexual and Gender Minority Rights

Queer women in Uganda: "Don't rush into coming out"

Interview

In East Africa, politics and the church propagate the idea that homosexuality is "un-African". In order to maintain their own power. However, queer life and love has always existed in Uganda. Homophobia, on the contrary, can be called a colonial import. We spoke with Ssenfuka Joanita Warry about queer activism in Uganda and why she takes every opportunity, she can to speak out and fight misconceptions about homosexuality.

Unmothering the Woman

The "Unmothering the Mother" series on Motherhood and Mothering aims to dismantle mothering stereotypes through storytelling and open discourse with members of the Kenyan public - and women in particular to increase their awareness of mothering and motherhood and overcome related stereotypes.