KEWOPA and CREAW Push for Gender Equality and Full Implementation of Maputo Protocol
The primary agenda was to assess the progress made in advancing women’s rights and address the persistent challenges hindering full gender parity.
KEWOPA and CREAW held a high-level meeting in Nairobi to assess gender equality in Kenya and advance women's rights through the Maputo Protocol. Photo/Parliament of Kenya.
By Robert Assad
The Association of Kenya Women Parliamentarians (KEWOPA), in collaboration with the Centre for Rights Education and Awareness (CREAW), convened a high-level meeting in Nairobi to discuss the state of gender equality in Kenya and explore the use of the Maputo Protocol to promote women and girls’ rights across the country.
The meeting brought together various stakeholders including representatives from the Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Forum, and other civil society actors.
The primary agenda was to assess the progress made in advancing women’s rights and address the persistent challenges hindering full gender parity.
In her address, Nominated Senator Betty Montet emphasized the importance of unity among women leaders. “Let us stop fighting each other as women. Let us focus on correcting each other while walking the talk on how we are going to increase the number of women leaders in the country,” she urged.
A comprehensive report presented by CREAW outlined both achievements and setbacks in the journey toward gender equality.
While some gains have been made, including increased awareness and policy development, the implementation gap remains wide, particularly in political representation and reproductive healthcare rights.
A major concern raised was the inadequate support systems for survivors of Gender-Based Violence (GBV). Women MPs noted the lack of sufficient shelters and called for increased budgetary allocations to the State Department for Gender, Culture, the Arts, and Heritage.
Participants at the forum also pushed for strategic engagement with key parliamentary finance leaders, urging CREAW to reach out to the chairpersons of both the Budget and Appropriations Committee and the Finance Committee in the National Assembly and Senate.
The goal is to ensure that gender initiatives receive the necessary funding and policy backing.
KEWOPA further committed to harnessing political goodwill by working alongside male counterparts to push for the two-thirds gender rule and other reforms aimed at elevating women’s roles in governance.
The meeting concluded with a renewed call for the government to lift its reservations on Articles 10 and 14 of the Maputo Protocol.
These articles, which deal with reproductive health rights, remain critical to the full realization of gender equality and reaffirm Kenya’s commitment to upholding women’s rights in line with international standards.
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