In the halls of the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, where global priorities are debated and international standards shaped, Kenya’s voice on gender equality is once again being tested — not in principle, but in action.
The National Gender and Equality Commission, led by Chairperson Hon. Rehema Jaldesa and Vice Chairperson Thomas Koyier, participated in the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), contributing to high-level global dialogue on advancing gender equality and protecting the rights and dignity of women and girls.
Held from 9 to 19 March 2026, the 70th session brought together governments, civil society organisations and development partners from across the world to confront one of the most persistent global challenges: inequality. This year’s theme ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls reflects a growing recognition that legal rights alone are insufficient without systems that deliver them in practice.
The global conversation at CSW70 was anchored in a stark truth: despite decades of progress, inequality remains deeply entrenched. World leaders and institutions reiterated that barriers to justice from discriminatory laws to weak enforcement mechanisms continue to limit the ability of women and girls to claim their rights.
For Kenya, these discussions are not abstract. They mirror domestic challenges from gender-based violence and limited access to justice, to structural inequalities that continue to affect women’s participation in economic and political life.
NGEC’s participation at CSW70 therefore represents more than diplomatic engagement. It is part of a broader effort to align national priorities with global standards, while ensuring that Kenya’s experiences inform international discourse.
Through the CSW platform, NGEC engaged with governments, multilateral institutions and civil society actors to strengthen collective action towards inclusive and equitable development.
The Commission’s presence reflects its growing role not only as a national oversight body, but also as a contributor to global policy conversations on equality and nondiscrimination. Such engagements allow Kenya to share lessons from its own reforms including efforts to strengthen legal frameworks, expand access to justice and address gender-based violence while also drawing from international best practices. In an increasingly interconnected world, these exchanges are critical.
A defining feature of NGEC’s participation at CSW70 is its co-hosting of three side events focused on survivor-centred approaches to addressing Gender-Based Violence (GBV). These discussions place emphasis on shifting from reactive systems to holistic, coordinated responses that prioritise the needs, dignity and recovery of survivors.
Kenya’s experience in this area including strengthening justice systems, improving referral pathways and enhancing coordination among service providers offers practical insights into what works, and what still needs to change.
The survivor-centred model, increasingly recognised globally, moves beyond punitive responses to include psychosocial support, legal aid, healthcare and community-based protection mechanisms.
Participation in CSW70 also provides an opportunity for mutual learning. Countries bring diverse experiences from legal reforms and policy innovations to grassroots interventions creating a platform for exchanging evidencebased solutions.
NGEC’s engagement reflects a commitment to ensuring that Kenya is both a contributor to and beneficiary of this global knowledge ecosystem. The Commission’s involvement in these discussions reinforces the importance of grounding policy in lived realities ensuring that interventions are not only well-designed, but also responsive to the needs of communities.
The engagements at CSW70 signal a clear direction: that advancing gender equality requires sustained, coordinated and multi-level action. It demands political will, institutional accountability and community participation.
The pursuit of equality is not confined to borders. For NGEC, participation at CSW70 is part of that broader journey. A journey toward societies where women and girls are not only protected by law, but empowered in reality.
