For Immediate Release 

 Nairobi, Kenya 

 8 March 2021  

 The theme of this year’s International Day, Women in Leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world, recognizes the importance of enabling women and girls to participate fully in leadership and decision-making. 

 But progress towards this goal is undermined by gender-based violence. Data from CREAW shows that by the end of 2020, cases of violence against women and girls in across the 10 counties in Kenya had risen by 64%.  The National Crime Research Center report 2020 shows a 92% increase in cases of Gender Based Violence between January and June 2020, compared to the same period in 2019. 

 With support from the Mastercard Foundation, the Center for Rights Education and Awareness (CREAW), GROOTS Kenya, and the Center for Collaborative Gender and Development (CCGD) have been working to address the challenge by providing access to legal aid, psycho-social support, and shelters, as well as connecting women to economic opportunities. To date 10,019 women have received direct services.  

Still, much remains to be done. Too many women continue to lack access to these types of services, often due to socio-cultural barriers. 
 “As a consortium  we recognise that almost a year after Kenya declared it’s first case of the Coronavirus, countless number of women and girls continue to be disproportionately affected by the increasing cases of GBV, loss of income and unequal domestic caregiving as they bear the brunt of harsh economic and social fallout during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Wangechi Wachira, the Executive Director CREAW 

 To reach additional women, the consortium will soon be launching the Jasiri Fund, the first of its kind in Kenya, to provide financial support to survivors of GBV. The Jasiri Fund, part of the Mastercard Foundation COVID-19 Recovery Response and Resillience program, is being piloted in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kiambu, Kakamega, Busia, Kwale, Kilifi, Tana River, Kajiado and Mandera counties. It will provide affordable business loans of up to Ksh 500,000 to 1000 women and girls who are survivors of GBV. The loans are expected to enable women  to recover and build their economic ventures beyond the pandemic—giving them the freedom and opportunity to take up the mantle of leadership .  

 “A desirable society is where young girls and women enjoy safe spaces and are part of decision making and development in their society,” said Santa Kagendo, Gender Champion. 

 End Notes 

 About the Center for Rights Education and Awareness   

 Founded in 1999, the Center for Rights Education and Awareness (CREAW) is a national feminist organization driving change for equal societies in Kenya. We place women and girls at the center of our actions to end inequality and realize social justice. We question political, social, economic, legal, cultural and religious structures that silences the voices and agency of women and girls in Kenya.  

 CREAW envisions a just society where women and girls enjoy full rights and live in dignity. We believe in the equality of rights, with empowerment and justice made available for every woman and girl. We stand for, ensuring women and girls have Power, Voice and Agency. For more information on CREAW, please visit: www.creawkenya.org 

About the Center for Collaborative Gender and Development  

Collaborative Center for Gender Development (CCGD) was established in 1996 by a small group of academics, researchers and development experts to build capacity in gender responsive planning, advocacy and programming. CCGD has grown into a dependable policy research and advocacy resource organization with program presence at county, national and regional levels. CCGD seeks to promote gender responsive capacity building and institutional development of all sectors in planning, budgeting, programming, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. For more information on CCGD, please visit: www.ccgdcentre.org 

About GROOTs Kenya  

GROOTS Kenya Association is a duly registered under section 10 of the Societies Act in Kenya as an association of 3,500 community-based organizations (CBOs) that are women led. GROOTS Kenya was formed in 1995 as a response to the inadequate visibility of grassroots women in development and decision-making forums that directly impact on them and their communities. GROOTS Kenya’s mission is to facilitate grassroots women and girls effective engagement in development through movement building, leadership and advocacy. For more information on GROOTS Kenya, please visit: www.grootskenya.org 

About the Mastercard Foundation 

The Mastercard Foundation works with visionary organizations to enable young people in Africa and in Indigenous communities in Canada to access dignified and fulfilling work.  It is one of the largest, private foundations in the world with a mission to advance learning and promote financial inclusion to create an inclusive and equitable world. The Foundation was created by Mastercard in 2006 as an independent organization with its own Board of Directors and management. For more information on the Foundation, please visit: www.mastercardfdn.org 

 

For more information please contact: 

Center for Rights Education and Awareness   

Christine Ogutu 

Communication Officer 

0724961386, christine.ogutu@creawkenya.org 

 

GROOTs Kenya 

Emily Maranga 

Project Manager 

0722837840, womenandleadership@grootskenya.org 

 

Center for Collaborative Gender and Development 

Christine Atito 

Communications Assistant 

0703790950, c.atito@ccgdcentre.org 

 

Mastercard Foundation 

Helen White  

Strategy Lead, Program Communications 

+27 76 166 5372, hwhite@mastercardfdn.org