Forum for Women in Development, Democracy and Justice

01/05/2026

Happy

21/04/2026

The power control and violence cycle

If you’ve ever thought, “Is it really abuse if it’s not physical?” this might change everything. 🧩

Many survivors say the first time they saw the Power and Control Wheel, what they were living through finally made sense. It lays out the common tactics abusers use to gain and keep dominance—like isolating someone, minimizing harm, twisting reality, or making big promises that “it’ll never happen again.”

What felt confusing or deeply personal starts to look like a pattern—and that realization can be both heartbreaking and empowering. It’s not a misunderstanding. It’s a system built around control.

Have you ever seen a resource that put words to something you couldn’t explain before? Share in the comments—or pass this along to someone who might need it. 💜

🔗 https://zpr.io/4yPAKQMmbsz5

17/04/2026

This is Anita Mugweru
She was 29 years . She worked at ICS Technical College.

On the night of 14th April, at Claremont Apartments where they lived. Her estranged husband KDF Captain Edward Kaunga stabbed her in the stomach. This was after severally confronting her in the kitchen over money. Anita locked herself in the bedroom. The husband stabbed severally in the stomach in the presence of her 4 year old and their househelp.

The family says that there was to be a meeting on 18th April to formally end this relationship. This was due to several instances of violence in this marriage with an arrest over Easter at Teacher's Police Station where the husband was subsequently released.

On 1st April , Jackline Awour 30years old and a security officer at GDC was beheaded by her ex husband Evans Abuti and her body dumped in a quarry in Maili Kumi Bahati - Nakuru. The head was eventually found after the husband was arrested at his home county where he has fled with their 3 year old daughter. Her family and friends also claimed she had planned to leave him due to domestic violence

The time surrounding leaving their abuser is the most dangerous time for a victim. Risk of lethality is severely increased if the abuser feels they are losing control over the victim Domestic Violence studies have shown.

Today we are mourning and remembering the women that the system has failed to protect.

Anita Mugweru 🕊️🥀🕊️ We speak your name
Jackline Awour 🥀🕊️🥀 We remember you

STOP Femicide NOW!

For help

1195 the National GBV Toll-free number
116 Child line
1199 Red Cross Kenya
0800000999 Usikimye
0800720186 CREAW

01/04/2026

From GBV policy to Action!

21/03/2026

Centering Justice, Ensuring Equality for Women and Girls CSW70 2026, NEW YORK
Gertrude Kageni Chairlady FODDAJ and Salome Araka Board member FODDAJ, added their voice that Justice for women and girls cannot remain theoretical or aspirational; it must be accessible, responsive, and transformative. Together we are diagnosing the problem and interrogating the systems that sustain injustice. Conversations on access to justice revealed how legal systems often remain inaccessible due to cost implications, complexity, language barriers, and geographic limitations. Cultural norms and stigma further discourage women from seeking justice, particularly in cases of gender-based violence.
Together we add our voice and co-create justice solutions by re-imagining what inclusive and feminist justice systems should look like. We are creating systems that are not only legally sound but socially responsive and accessible to all women and girls, including those in rural and marginalized communities. The convening culminated in a Call to Action on Access to Justice for Women and Girls across the world, reflecting a unified position and a shared commitment to advancing legal reform, strengthening accountability, and centering the lived realities of women in justice systems.
Women and girls are not merely participants in global gender equality processes they are agenda-setters, movement builders, and architects of a more just future.

17/03/2026

Stronger, integrated justice systems are essential for gender equality.

At , an intergenerational group of women leaders called for legal reform, accessible services and stronger support for women’s organizations to ensure justice .

Read more: http://unwo.men/TJhO50YuYT1

16/03/2026

The Chief Justice of Kenya: Hon. Martha Koome CSW70 2026
A Call for Bold Action: Eliminating Violence Against Women
During a keynote speech at the CSW70, the Chief Justice of Kenya, affirmed Kenya’s bold strides in strengthening access to justice for survivors. Key interventions include the establishment of specialized Gender-Based Violence Courts, implementation of survivor-centered judicial reforms, enhanced coordination across the justice sector and the use of digital and mobile courts to expand access, particularly in remote and underserved areas. These now provide trauma informed and survivor centered justice.
She reiterated that to achieve a structural shift and halve the prevalence of this violence over the next decade, we must start prevention early through education and early intervention programs to shift attitudes, transform social norms, strengthening respect for human rights and dignity for women and girls. She affirmed that Kenya has integrated gender equality and gender-based violence awareness into school curricular equipping young people with knowledge of rights and respect for women rights.
Globally, Gender Based Violence is a human rights violation that also carries a massive economic burden, costing countries between 1% and 6.5% of their gross domestic product . Despite these immense costs, financial investments are not commensurate with the scale of the problem. In 2022, only 0.2% of official development assistance was allocated to prevention efforts.
There is need to increased budgetary allocations to address Gender Based Violence. Governments must now allocate domestic financing to prevention and response. Governments must commit domestic budgets that are at least proportionate to the percentage of GDP representing the economic costs of this violence.
FODDAJ Chairlady Gertrude Kageni, Board Member Salome Araka pose with Her Hon. Chief Justice, Martha Koome at the CSW70 2026.

13/03/2026

CSW70 (2026) | UN Women – Headquarters

This year we are at 'The 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70)" held at UN Headquarters in New York from March 9–19, 2026, focusing on strengthening access to justice, eliminating discriminatory laws, and addressing structural barriers for women and girls
Our Board Chair Gertrude Micheni and one of our Board of Directors Salome Araka are involved in high level discussions, taking critical opportunity to advance gender equality and safety.
The priority theme for discussion at CSW70 is ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls, including by promoting inclusive and equitable legal systems, eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices, and addressing structural barriers. The review theme, which evaluates the progress made, is women’s full and effective participation and decision making in public life, as well as the elimination of violence, for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.
Like previous years, FODDAJ will be participating in-person in CSW70 through its Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) status, taking part in co-created spaces as well as hosting online civil society spaces that advance our focus on issues relating to technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), gendered misinformation and disinformation, technology and war, and cross-issue feminist solidarity building.
Women are Equal to the task!
Our Chair and Director posing with CS for gender Hannah Chelimo and Kenya Deligation to the CSW70 2026.

07/03/2026

This year, on March 8th, 2026, we pause to honour the remarkable strength, resilience, and achievements of women and girls around the world. International Women’s Day is more than a date on the calendar; it is a global acknowledgement of the social, economic, cultural, and political strides women have made, often in the face of immense adversity. FODDAJ joined Kajiado County and communities celebrations in Loitoktok Town, Kajiado South Sub County.

27/02/2026

With generous support from CCGD Kenya the Jasiri life skills program, a landmark initiative is transforming lives for refugee, displaced and host-community women and girls by improving social skills and decision-making for highly at-risk girls to boost mental health, safety, and resilience.
This program applies safe spaces model, peer mentorship, and tailored curricula to address health, communication, and rights, reducing trauma and improving overall well-being for hundreds of refugee girls.
Participants report improved resilience, adaptable, community-oriented, and problem-solvers at household, community and in work-places. These are the very qualities that are sharpened through lived experience and strengthened through structured skilling programs that the Jasiri program offers.

16/01/2026

Peak moments of 2025.