Women and minority rights activists around the world are working to create positive change in their communities. Women human rights defenders face many of the same challenges as their male counterparts. However, many face additional obstacles and threats because they challenge the status quo twice over – through their work and by challenging (by their very existence) accepted norms, traditions, perceptions and stereotypes about femininity, sexual orientation and the role and status of women in society. As a result, they are vulnerable to threats, stigma, rejection by family and community, and violence.
In advance of the Kenyan elections, two of the topics identified by the WHRD Toolkit Organisers (TOs) were Election Preparedness and Wellbeing and Self-care. PBI Kenya, with support from the Irish Embassy, held a two-day workshop on these topics. Regina Opondo, from the Constitution and Reform Education Consortium, gave the training and it focused on the needs of TOs in the settlements in the immediate election period.
I was born in Kibera and I grew up in Kibera; growing up here was both a privilege and a struggle. Life is difficult in Kibera and we live in poverty here, but this place makes a woman strong and I believe that I am strong today because I grew up in Kibera.
Growing up in Kibera is challenging, especially as a young boy. 99% of the guys I grew up with are dead – mainly because of crime. A lot of young men do drugs, or get involved in the world of drugs. And basically, once you get involved with drugs you have very little choice but to venture into crime. Nevertheless, it is still a choice.
I came to Mathare when I was six. I remember very clearly that during those times, there was no mistrust between the different communities. I would play with all my neighbours whether they were Kikuyu, Luo, or Borana. They were like my siblings, and their parents were like my parents. But this comradery and positive community spirit started to change during my early teens.
I was born in Kisii in south-western Kenya, but I grew up in Mukuru, one of the biggest slums in Nairobi. I am an only child and my mother passed away before I reached the age of 10.
I grew up in Mabatini ward in Mathare, an informal settlement in Nairobi. At home I experienced domestic violence; my dad beat my mum all the time. In this ward, women are not always recognised by men. Women could not even stand for a small position in the community because men believed that women should stay in the kitchen, not stand for a position in our community.
In mid-May, PBI Kenya, in association with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), held a Training Course on Human Rights Documenting, Reporting and Advocacy Skills for the Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRD) Toolkit Organisers and other women human rights defenders that PBI works with.
Growing up in Kibera was a challenge. My parents were not well off and my father had an alcohol problem and beat my mother a lot. Because of these experiences, I decided I did not want to raise my own child in the same way and I have been trying my best to raise my girl in a good way.
Kenyan human rights defenders (HRDs) face numerous challenges and threats, particularly if they work in urban settlements and rural areas, or if they work on sensitive topics such as land rights, corruption and violations by the police.
On December 8, 2016, PBI Kenya together with our partners at the Law Society of Kenya, Amnesty International Kenya and EACHRights, awarded the ECOSOC Pro Bono Lawyer Award 2016 to Allan Maleche, Executive Director of KELIN (Kenya Legal & Ethical Issues Network on HIV and AIDS).