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Monday 07:00 - 17:00 Tuesday 07:00 - 17:00 Wednesday 07:00 - 17:00 Thursday 07:00 - 17:00 Friday 07:00 - 17:00

Women Human Rights Defenders Hub- The Hub, State House Road, Nairobi West (2026)

02/09/2026

Women Human Rights Defenders in are raising their voices against atrocities. In a powerful K24 TV interview, women human rights defenders and activists from across the Coast are calling for urgent intervention to combat femicide and gender-based violence. They speak openly about the rising cases of violence against women and children, the physical and online attacks faced by those who defend human rights, and the urgent need for better security strategies, legal awareness, and community support.

Representatives from the Women Human Rights Defenders Hub- The Hub and Mombasa WHRDs network highlight how technology-facilitated gender-based violence is increasing and how activists themselves are being targeted both offline and online. They emphasize the importance of training, knowledge of legal frameworks, economic empowerment for families, and stronger protection so that women can continue speaking out without fear.

Watch the full interview below and follow us on our social media handles for more updates:
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28/08/2026

As we close the week we on a fallen icon.

Flags have flown at half-mast across America and around the world.

We have paused to remember Dolly Parton.

Her words still linger:
“I think everybody should be treated with respect…I hope that everybody gets a chance to be who and what they are.”

In we see how fully she lived that hope. She made being herself look natural, joyful and strong. She never asked permission to take up space. She simply did, with warmth, humour and an open heart that reached far beyond music.

We reflect on how her spirit touches the work of Human Rights. Every day the Hub walks with women who stand for justice, protect survivors and refuse silence. Through safety, livelihoods, femtorship, movement building and more, the Hub creates space for women human rights defenders to keep showing up as their full selves, with dignity and without apology.
As the week ends we hold her example close. Respect. Authenticity. The simple, powerful right to be who you are!

To every woman human rights defender:
You are already enough! You are already powerful! You deserve the chance to be fully yourself!

We dedicate her “Tennessee Mountain Home” to all the women defenders.
In that gentle song, she carried the mountains, the memories of home, and the quiet truth of belonging, of being exactly who you are and knowing that you belong.

Protect. Heal. Nurture.

25/08/2026

Strengthening Feminist Leadership in Marsabit as WHRDs Lead the Way Through Community Baraza and Intergenerational Femtorship

From 11–12 August 2026 in Marsabit County, Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs) came together with community elders, religious leaders, local administrators, youth representatives, and other stakeholders for a powerful Community Baraza and Intergenerational Femtorship Forum.

Organised under the P.O.W.E.R Project by the Whrds Hub and Diakonia, the two-day gathering built directly on the gains of the April 2026 Holistic Protection and Network Formation Workshop. It focused on reviewing progress, deepening structured femtorship between experienced and emerging defenders, and opening constructive dialogue with duty-bearers to challenge discriminatory social norms and strengthen collective protection of women human rights defenders.

On the first day, participants revisited the Human Rights-Based Approach, protection planning, and collective wellbeing principles from the earlier workshop. Sub-county teams from Saku and Laisamis presented updates on their action plans. Highlights shared included the establishment and strengthening of a rescue centre in Logologo, the development of safety plans and awareness initiatives, the creation of WhatsApp groups for rapid coordination and peer support, radio programmes on human rights including partnerships with Radio Jangwani and Sifa Centre, engagement with World Vision, Shalom and local peace structures, and a strong push for women’s inclusion in Nyumba Kumi and county-level coordination mechanisms. An intergenerational discussion on journeys of courage, leadership and resilience was followed by structured group work that produced concrete femtorship commitments and peer support circles for emerging WHRDs.
The second day brought WHRDs face-to-face with traditional, religious and administrative leaders. Women activists from Saku and Laisamis presented the realities on the ground, highlighting persistent challenges such as early marriage, r**e cases, child prostitution, economic violence, early pregnancy, poverty, and the pressure on women and girls. Community leaders engaged openly.
A chief identified illiteracy as a major underlying issue. Contributions from figures including Mr. Mohammed Hassan touched on capacity building for women, the role of women themselves in ending impunity, politically instigated clashes, peace and security, and human trafficking. Discussions also noted positive shifts, such as improved school enrolment for girls in areas like Kargi, while acknowledging that decision-making power among Rendille communities often remains with men. The baraza emphasised shared responsibility: leaders were challenged on their role in eradicating harmful cultural and social norms, while WHRDs highlighted the need for community ownership of gender justice and protection of defenders.

The forum produced validated intergenerational femtorship frameworks, community commitments to address discriminatory norms, and a strengthened county action plan for feminist leadership and engagement. Stories of change were documented, and the county-wide WHRD solidarity network left more visible, connected, and determined.

This gathering reaffirmed that sustainable transformation of social norms requires both the courage of women human rights defenders and the active partnership of community, religious and administrative leaders.

.O.W.E.RProject

UNDP Kenya Ford Foundation Open Society Foundations American Jewish World Service - AJWS Hivos We Effect East Africa The National Gender and Equality Commission-Kenya State Department for Gender

21/08/2026

On 14 August, during the 7th Annual Ogiek Celebrations hosted by the Ogiek Peoples' Development Program-OPDP and other partners, the Women Human Rights Defenders Hub- The Hub launched its new report, Deepening Analysis of Climate Governance Frameworks through an Indigenous and Gender Lens.

The report puts Indigenous Peoples, and particularly Indigenous Women Environmental Defenders (IWEDs), at the centre of Kenya’s climate governance conversation.
It draws on evidence and lived experiences from nine Indigenous communities: Borana, Endorois, Ilchamus, Maasai, Ogiek, Samburu, Sengwer, Bajuni and Waata.

What the evidence tells us:
- Indigenous Peoples are indispensable partners in climate resilience and biodiversity conservation.
- The challenge is not simply a lack of laws. It is the weak implementation of existing legal and policy frameworks.
- Indigenous women are central to environmental stewardship, yet continue to face systemic exclusion from decision-making spaces.
- Climate justice requires inclusive governance that recognises Indigenous knowledge, rights and leadership, and leaves no one behind.
- Sustainable environmental governance depends on genuine partnerships between governments, Indigenous institutions and civil society.

The report also speaks directly to The National Gender and Equality Commission-Kenya (NGEC)’s Research Agenda for Kenya. As Hon. Lowoi challenged us, the data we generate must speak to the real needs of Indigenous Peoples. One of the agenda’s five priorities, Systemic Issues in Gender, examines how institutional laws, policies, agendas and practices shape gender-transformative efforts, and this report contributes directly to that conversation.

As the hub’s Executive Director, Salome Nduta, emphasised:
“This report is not intended to remain a record of challenges and gaps. It is a call for meaningful action, accountability and transformation.”

The evidence, lived experiences and recommendations now call on government institutions, Indigenous communities, civil society, development partners, the private sector and all duty bearers to move beyond recognition and commitments towards concrete action that upholds Indigenous peoples’ rights and strengthens their participation in climate decision-making.

A just climate future for Kenya cannot be achieved without Indigenous Peoples, and particularly Indigenous women, at the centre of climate governance.

Read the full report on our website www.whrdhub.org and join the call to action.

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UNDP Kenya The National Gender and Equality Commission-Kenya We Effect East Africa Ford Foundation State Department for Gender American Jewish World Service - AJWS Hivos KIOS

19/08/2026

Indigenous women environmental defenders and allies from pastoralist, hunter-gatherer, agro-pastoralist, and coastal communities gathered on 4–5 August 2026 for a powerful two-day workshop that combined research validation with practical digital security training.

The gathering combined two critical strands of work. Participants validated research assessing climate laws and policies through an indigenous and gender lens, examining how legal frameworks shape the lives, risks, participation, protection, and access to justice of indigenous women environmental defenders. Participants enriched the findings with lived experiences, including ongoing eviction threats, and reaffirmed the central role of indigenous knowledge systems in conservation and climate resilience. At the same time, they took part in practical digital security training tailored to the realities of remote areas, limited connectivity, surveillance risks, and sensitive land and environmental advocacy.

Facilitated by the hub, in collaboration with American Jewish World Service - AJWS, the sessions covered threat modelling, device and data protection, secure communications, incident response, digital well-being, and organisational security planning.

Participants represented communities linked to the Endorois, Borana, Samburu, Maasai, Sengwer, Ogiek, Bajuni and related peoples across counties including Baringo, Nakuru, Marsabit, Samburu, Kajiado, and Lamu, alongside partners from Katiba Institute The National Gender and Equality Commission-Kenya, and the broader Women Human Rights Defenders Hub- The Hub and American Jewish World Service - AJWS networks.

The workshop produced meaningful outcomes. Collective ownership and validation of the research were strengthened, with clear calls for the meaningful participation of women, youth, and persons with disabilities in climate governance. Participants developed draft organisational digital security action plans, threat maps, and incident reporting protocols, while strengthening skills in device security, secure communications, and digital well-being. A shared commitment to follow-up support and implementation was affirmed.

This workshop reaffirmed that indigenous women environmental defenders are not peripheral actors. They are central to climate resilience, knowledge systems, and just governance. Their protection, leadership, and meaningful participation remain essential.

UNDP Kenya The National Gender and Equality Commission-Kenya We Effect East Africa Ford Foundation Open Society Foundations

13/08/2026

The Hub successfully convened a two and a half day capacity-building workshop for Women Human Rights Defenders from 27th to 29th July across all six Mombasa sub-counties: Nyali, Mvita, Likoni, Changamwe, Kisauni and Jomvu. Grounded in a Human Rights-Based Approach, the training focused on strengthening safety, wellness and economic resilience for defenders who face persistent threats including physical attacks, digital surveillance, psychosocial distress and economic vulnerability.

Youth, comprising the young and upcoming WHRDs, made up 90 percent of participants, with strong inclusion of network coordinators, seasoned defenders, sexual minorities and Persons with Disabilities. An initial assessment revealed that a significant percentage of participants had no prior knowledge of the legal frameworks protecting their work, including CEDAW, the Maputo Protocol and the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders. Through interactive sessions they mapped local risks, drafted realistic sub-county protection plans and began applying these frameworks to their daily realities.

Participants also confronted the economic pressures highlighted in earlier convenings, where many had been forced to use personal funds to support survivors. All arrived without personal financial plans and were living day to day. The workshop introduced practical money management skills and culminated in the collective selection of one viable network-wide business idea to build shared economic independence. Peer support deepened through femtorship pairings, participant-led wellness sessions on coping with trauma and burnout, and informal team-building that strengthened solidarity across the network.

On Wednesday 26 August the Hub will convene the WHRDs for ongoing femtor-femtee follow-ups and peer accountability focused on safety, self-care and economic progress.

UNDP Kenya The National Gender and Equality Commission-Kenya We Effect East Africa American Jewish World Service - AJWS KIOS Ford Foundation State Department for Gender UN Women

31/07/2026

The Rights We Enjoy Today Were Someone Else's Fight Yesterday

As another week ends, it’s worth stopping for a moment on a plain truth, human rights are not self sustaining. The freedoms exist because people before us decided injustice was not something they would simply accept.

This year marks 75 years since the 1951 Refugee Convention was opened for signature. Born in the ruins of the Second World War, reports show it remains one of the most important international agreements ever reached, a promise that people forced to flee persecution, war or violence would not be left without protection. itself acceded to the Convention in 1966 and to the 1967 Protocol in 1981, joining 149 states that are party to one or both instruments.

Yet the need for that protection remains urgent, especially across Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa allegedly continues to host a large share of the world’s internally displaced people. In and Southern Africa alone, reports indicate more than 6.4 million refugees and asylum-seekers were recorded as of mid-2026. is among the continent’s largest hosts as per the recent published statistics. It shows as of 30 June 2026, the country was home to 857,065 registered refugees and asylum-seekers roughly 74 percent refugees and 26 percent asylum-seekers.

Reportedly, most come from Somalia (about 55 percent) and South Sudan (about 24 percent), with others from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Burundi and beyond. The majority live in Dadaab, Kakuma and Kalobeyei, with a smaller but significant number in urban areas such as Nairobi, Mombasa and Nakuru.

Behind these numbers are people who refuse to stay silent. Across Africa, human rights defenders face threats, harassment, arbitrary detention and, too often, lethal violence for insisting on dignity and justice. In 2025, Front Line Defenders and the HRD Memorial documented at least three killings of human rights defenders in Kenya, with additional cases still under verification. Local monitoring groups also recorded continued pressure on activists, including arbitrary arrests, harassment and extrajudicial killings linked to protests and civic space.

For women human rights defenders the risks are frequently compounded. They challenge harmful norms, respond to gender-based violence, defend land and the environment, promote peace and push for inclusive governance, work that transforms lives, often at personal cost.

Human rights are not only found in treaties or courtrooms. They show up in ordinary decisions, standing with survivors, rejecting discrimination, amplifying voices that are routinely ignored, demanding accountability, and choosing not to look away.

The rights we hold today were secured by people who refused to give up. The responsibility to protect them now sits with all of us in Kenya, across Africa, and beyond.

This Friday, don’t just look back at history. Take part in the story that the next generation will inherit. Every act of courage, however small, helps build a fairer world.

31/07/2026

Through the support of dedicated partners American Jewish World Service - AJWS and communities, the Hub has concluded research assessing climate laws and policies through an indigenous and gender lens.

Conducted across six counties, Baringo, Isiolo, Nakuru, Lamu, Samburu and Elgeyo Marakwet, the study looked at how national and county climate governance frameworks, customary mechanisms and climate realities affect indigenous communities, especially indigenous women environmental defenders.

On 4th of August, the hub will hold a validation session to share the findings, gather stakeholder feedback, review existing support systems and identify practical solutions to address the gaps.

As an organization, we continue to advance gender equality and indigenous rights in climate governance.

UNDP Kenya The National Gender and Equality Commission-Kenya We Effect East Africa KIOS Ford Foundation Open Society Foundations UN Women Hivos State Department for Gender

29/07/2026

Four days in with women human rights defenders from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

The 4th annual East Africa Consortium Strategic Planning Meeting closed on 24 July 2026 with a clear and ambitious roadmap in hand. The consortium of women human rights defenders from across the East Africa region spent two intensive days reviewing past work, analysing the current landscape and designing the 2026–2027 plan.

We opened with names, countries and one proud fact about home written on bright balloons. Some of us felt light. Some of us felt the weight of the year just lived. All of us were glad to be in the same room again.

The meeting delivered on its core goals. Participants conducted an honest reflection on the 2025 Action Plan, examined what worked and what fell short, and surfaced the lessons that must shape the next cycle. Country reflections from Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania focused on political developments, civic space, protection realities, the funding landscape and emerging opportunities. These insights fed directly into the strategic priorities that followed.

Governance, coordination, cross-border collaboration, communication, fiscal hosting, emergency response and partnerships were audited so the group could see clearly what is working and where deliberate strengthening is still required. Vision, regional positioning and the consortium’s value proposition were affirmed. Programmatic priorities took shape across protection and safety, wellness, movement building, regional advocacy, emergency response and knowledge management.

Critical conversations named the weight defenders carry, the support required especially ahead of electoral periods, and what wellness looks like in practice. A full day dedicated to collective wellbeing and relationship-building reinforced that care is infrastructure, not an afterthought.

Out of the honesty came a feminist protection approach that does not move only the individual but the whole ecosystem around her. Care is not an add on. Prevention matters as much as response. Flexibility is strength. Sisterhood is strategy.

The closing session locked in key decisions, next steps and immediate priorities. The meeting did more than produce plans. It renewed relationships, clarified priorities and equipped the network with both strategic clarity and practical tools for the year ahead.

In a region where women human rights defenders continue to face surveillance, criminalisation and burnout, the message was unmistakable, we will protect each other, we will heal together, and we will nurture movements that endure.

The 2026–2027 plan is now in motion.

Women defenders showed up, spoke truth, and stayed in the room when it was heavy. The work continues. The consortium is stronger!

UNDP Kenya The National Gender and Equality Commission-Kenya We Effect East Africa Ford Foundation Open Society Foundations Hivos American Jewish World Service - AJWS Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition

27/07/2026

Looking at CEDAW today feels a bit like standing in front of a building that was meant to be a landmark but still has scaffolding around it decades later.

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women was adopted in 1979. Nearly 190 countries have signed up to it. It demanded more than polite equality on paper. It asked governments to root out discrimination in the home, the workplace, the courts and the law itself, and to make real change happen for women.

Yet more than forty years on, the gap between the promise and the daily reality remains stubborn. Many states joined with reservations, especially on family law and nationality. They kept religious or customary rules in place that leave women with fewer rights in marriage, divorce and inheritance. Studies show that countries holding onto these carve-outs, particularly on Article 16, tend to have lower levels of equality for women inside the family.
Even where the laws look strong, enforcement often falters. Global reviews of economic opportunity laws find that while the average country scores around 67 out of 100 on the books, the score drops to 53 when it comes to actual enforcement and falls further still for the systems needed to make those rights real. Only about 4 percent of women worldwide live in economies that come close to full legal equality. Protection orders against domestic violence go unheeded. Police and judges receive little training. Budgets for women’s programmes stay thin or vanish. Different government departments work in isolation. And the people meant to apply the rules sometimes still carry the old attitudes that treat violence as a private matter or blame the woman.

One in three women has experienced physical or sexual violence in her lifetime. Roughly 86 percent of women and girls live in countries that still lack robust legal protection from violence and discrimination. Culture and religion add another layer of resistance. In many places traditional practices sit alongside state law and quietly cancel out equality. Changing those deeper beliefs takes time and political courage that is often missing.

Conflict makes the setbacks sharper. When war or hardline rule takes hold, the gains can disappear almost overnight. Afghanistan under the Taliban stands as the starkest recent example. At the same time a wider political backlash against women’s rights is growing, while funding for the organisations that support women is being cut. Recent figures show that at least one million women and girls have lost access to critical support services because of aid reductions.

According to recent reports, women still hold only around 27 percent of parliamentary seats and just over 22 percent of cabinet positions worldwide. The treaty itself has limited power. The Committee can issue recommendations and examine individual cases, but those decisions are not binding. Countries can largely ignore them. Even the Committee’s own work has been slowed by money shortages at the United Nations.

There have been real advances. Some constitutions have been rewritten, stronger laws passed, and courts have drawn on CEDAW in their rulings. National plans have been drawn up because of the pressure the treaty creates. Still, the distance between what governments promised and what many women experience every day remains wide, especially on violence, economic independence, political power and the extra barriers faced by women who are poor, rural, disabled or from minority communities.

Reports indicate CEDAW is still the strongest global standard we have. But turning its words into lived equality has always depended less on the text itself and more on political will, money, honest information and the harder work of shifting social attitudes. That work is unfinished, and the scaffolding is still up.

UNDP Kenya The National Gender and Equality Commission-Kenya We Effect East Africa UNICEF Luxembourg NUG Representative Office - Republic of Korea Denmark.dk United Nations Development Programme - UNDP KIOS American Jewish World Service - AJWS Ford Foundation

Women Human Rights Defenders Hub- The Hub

02/09/2026

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