Nanyuki — The National Gender and Equality Commission’s Isiolo Regional Office joined women leaders, policymakers, and development partners at the Pastoral Women Forum and celebration of the International Day of Rural Women, held at Aberdare Prestige & Royal Cottages in Nanyuki. The event brought together delegates from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, and Ethiopia to spotlight rural women’s rights and advocate for equitable access to land and natural resources.
The forum served as a vital space for reflection and dialogue on the pivotal role of rural women in driving sustainable development. It underscored that women in pastoral and agricultural communities are not only custodians of the land but also crucial contributors to environmental conservation and economic resilience.
Participants shared personal stories and community experiences that illuminated both the challenges and opportunities women face in accessing, managing, and benefiting from land and natural resources.
Organized by IMPACT Kenya with support from NAMATI and GIZ Kenya, the gathering carried a strong message: empowering rural women is essential for achieving inclusive and sustainable development. Discussions focused on how women’s active participation in land governance leads to better environmental outcomes, stronger community resilience, and more equitable growth.
Many speakers highlighted the persistent gaps that hinder women’s full participation from traditional practices that limit ownership to institutional barriers that exclude them from decision-making.
One pastoralist woman captured the forum’s spirit when she remarked that when women are involved in decisions about land use, the land thrives, and so do the families that depend on it. Her words reflected the shared understanding that land rights are more than a legal question they are deeply tied to dignity, equality, and community survival.
For the National Gender and Equality Commission, the event reaffirmed its constitutional mandate to promote and protect the rights of all Kenyans, particularly those in marginalized and rural areas. The Isiolo Regional Office’s participation demonstrated a firm commitment to ensuring that women’s voices shape the policies and practices that affect their lives and livelihoods.
The forum also emphasized regional solidarity, as participants from across East Africa exchanged strategies for inclusive land governance and sustainable pastoralism. They discussed the importance of cross-border cooperation in addressing shared challenges such as climate change, land degradation, and resource conflicts that disproportionately affect women. The conversations in Nanyuki were more than just policy debates; they were a testament to the resilience and determination of rural women who continue to lead in silence and strength.
By engaging in such regional dialogues, the Commission continues to advance gender equality and inclusivity as cornerstones of Kenya’s national development. The Isiolo Regional Office’s contribution to this forum reflects an unwavering belief that empowering women at the grassroots level is key to achieving both justice and sustainability in Kenya’s rural landscapes.
