2024 Review: How Grassroot Activism Has Brought Focus On Key Issues In Kenya
2024 is Kenya’s Year of Civic Activism. From the #EndFemicideKE protests advocating for gender justice in the wake of a rise in femicide in Kenya, to the flood protests against forced evictions and demolitions in Kenya’s informal settlements, powerful citizen voices echoed across the country throughout the year.
When protests against a finance bill led by Kenya’s dynamic Gen Z attracted global attention and led to President Ruto’s refusal to sign the bill into law, Kenya began to inspire similar movements led by young people in Nigeria and Uganda.
A new wave of movements in Kenya has been fueled by active grassroots citizen participation.
It’s easy to dismiss a citizen movement as unsuccessful when it doesn’t produce immediate results, but in 2024, women from marginalized communities tell us that social justice victory is defined much more broadly.
Victory at the grassroots level
In 2024, Nguvu Change leaders from across Kenya led various forms of targeted grassroots movements seeking change on community issues. Over the course of their advocacy, these women have grown into voices and strong leaders who are taking steps to address these issues on their own level.
Harriet Afandi, Josephine Mwende and Deborah Monari launch a national dialogue on obstetric violence (OBV) in Kenya Through grassroots research, telling the stories of women in Kenya who have experienced one form of OBV or another. this research reportThe report received widespread coverage in local and international media and was presented to key decision-makers including Senator Omtatah, Hon Gathoni Wamuchomba and the Kenya Women’s Parliamentary Organization (KEWOPA). These policymakers will work with Harriet, Josephine and Deborah to develop a policy to protect Kenyan women from OBV. Our leaders of change have proven that to achieve policy change, the voice of the people at the grassroots level must be raised. Our change leaders also tell us that advocacy is more effective when it is led by people with real experience with the issue being advocated, because they can shine a spotlight on new areas of the issue that are less talked about.
Given their geographical nature, women and girls in Kenya’s arid and semi-arid areas (ASAL) are disproportionately affected by menstrual poverty. Nguvu Change Leader Amina Guyo Abdi is working with fellow change leaders Frida Karani and Sylvia Awinja to change this narrative.
Amina launched the Sitiri Campaign Menstrual Health Education Guide, an educational booklet designed to educate school children, both boys and girls, about menstruation and hygiene. This resource is a key step in breaking down menstrual stigma and ensuring learners have the information they need to care for their menstrual health with confidence and respect.
Amina, Frida and Sylvia also surveyed women and girls in Kenya to understand the accessibility and affordability of hygiene products in Kenya. The report will be released in the first quarter of 2025 and will focus on the actual situation and urgent needs of women and girls for menstrual products.
Naomy Kolian and Selina Nkoile are working to end female genital mutilation (FGM) in Kenya.
Female genital mutilation (FGM) remains one of the most serious human rights violations, affecting more than 200 million women and girls worldwide. In Kenya, female genital mutilation persists despite a legal framework prohibiting the practice, with more than 21% of girls and women continuing to face this life-changing violence.
#BreakTheBlade is a movement started by survivors of female genital mutilation social media activity sharing their lived experiences, but soon grew into a national movement launched in Nairobi by Nguvu Collective, KEWOPA and the Anti-Female Genital Mutilation Committee. Now Selina and Naomi seek to engage grassroots girls, cultural leaders and political representatives in Kenya’s #BreakTheBlade resistance movement.
Amplifying grassroots voices in 2025
These are just a few examples of how young female leaders are breaking glass ceilings and pioneering local grassroots movements in Kenya. There are many more unseen and unheard voices, stories, and alliances quietly working for change at the bottom.
In 2025, let us celebrate more movements led by women, and more female leaders spearheading them. It is our collective responsibility to ensure these women and their grassroots activism are seen and heard.
