Outcome RD_D_4.1

Women's and girls' participation in conflict prevention and peace and security processes increased

During the reporting period, there was the increased participation of women in Peace and Security efforts. This is due to Kenya commitment to the implementation of its second-generation National Action Plan on UNSCR 1325 (KNAP II). UN Women’s continued policy support, advocacy, awareness-raising, and institutional strengthening efforts have contributed to an improvement in advancing Women Peace and Security agenda in Kenya. This is evidenced by an increase in women’s leadership and participation in peace and security processes. Within the peace committees, there has been a two-fold increase of women in leadership position-chairperson from 6% in 2019 to 14.28% in 2021, which led to the establishment of the Network of Women Peace Committees in 2021, linking local-level initiatives to the national agenda which has enhanced the implementation of KNAP II. Within the Ministry of Defence, there has been an increase in the number of female recruits into the Kenya Defence Forces from 321 in 2018 to 807 in 2021, while 5 female officers were deployed into senior international leadership roles within Peacekeeping missions. In addition, more female officers were accorded senior leadership training opportunities in 2020 in which fourteen (14) female officers attended senior leadership courses from five (5) in 2019. In 2021, Major Steplyne Nyaboga, a Kenyan peacekeeper was awarded the UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award, which is underpinned by the principles of UNSCR 1325. Thus, creating a pool of female officers ready to take up leadership opportunities as part of long-term strategies to achieve gender equity in the security sector. This is attributed to the Ministry of Defence first-ever Gender Policy which UN Women supported as part of its policy development hence contributing to the Participation Pillar in KNAP II. UN Women continued to promote localization of KNAP II, which has been attributed to the development of the County Action Plan in Marsabit, Kilifi, Mombasa, Taita Taveta and Kwale counties which have deepened ownership and sustainability of the WPS agenda at the county and community level. This effort also contributed to the establishment of the County Intergovernmental coordination mechanism - County Gender Sector Working Group on Women Peace and Security in 19 counties [1] . Through advocacy, sensitization, capacity development and policy support UN Women continued to play a pivotal role in shaping discourse on women participation and influence in disaster risk governance processes to enhance community resilience and safety in Kilifi, Marsabit and Wajir counties. As a direct result of the gender-responsive County Drought Contingency Plan, girls' schools are provided more water than due to biological needs. In addition, response efforts ensure water points are strategically positioned taking into consideration the distance and safety of women and children Finally, UN Women has strived to empower women and girls from refugee and host communities to participate in decision making in peace-building and humanitarian spaces and have access to protection spaces and services, in line with the relief and recovery pillar of the Kenya National Action Plan on UNSCR 1325. [1] Uasin Gishu, Nandi, Marsabit, Kwale, Baringo, Mombasa, Kilifi, Taita Taveta, Nakuru, Kisumu, Kitui, Turkana, Kirinyaga,, Machakos, Kericho, Bomet,Vihiga, Transnzoia and Nyeri

Women's and girls' participation in conflict prevention and peace and security processes increased

UN Women remained steadfast in its commitment to advancing the Women, Peace and Security Agenda by advocating for women’s meaningful participation in leadership and peace and security processes. Key results included: Contribution towards 2022 peaceful elections: During the electioneering period, UN Women as a key principle of UWIANO Platform for Peace, provided gender expertise to the platform during the development of the UWIANO 2022 Workplan, by ensuring gender was central to the strategy. UWIANO Platform for Peace is a conflict preventive strategy that provides space for a wide range of partners, actors, and stakeholders to build synergy and leverage their efforts for conflict prevention and peacebuilding in Kenya. Alongside other initiatives, it was instrumental in delivering relatively free, credible, inclusive, and peaceful in the 2022 general elections. Over 3000 women participated in , and influenced the peace and security processes across the country by disseminating peace messages and advocating for the elimination of violence against women in elections (VAWiE). Their meaningful and active engagement in decision-making on election preparedness meeting through the multi stakeholder forums and and peace forums was preceded by training on the 2 nd Kenya National Action Plan (KNAP) on Women, Peace and Security Agenda, mediation, Early Warning Early Response mechanisms, and conflict analysis and resolution. These efforts c ontributed towards a peaceful election in August and a smooth transition of power in October. Amplified women's voices i n conflict prevention and peace and security processes: In Turkana, Bungoma, Kisumu, Samburu, Kitui, Kwale, Mombasa, Marsabit, and Baringo counties, the increased women's meaningful participation in conflict prevention and peace and security processes resulted in the inclusion of the implementation budget of KNAP II in the 5-year County Integrated Development Plans in nine out of forty-seven counties with UN Women support. In Turkana and Marsabit Counties, the trained women submitted a petition to their respective Governors urging for the enforcement of the 2/3 gender rule, as provided for in the Constitution of Kenya. The petition also expressed concerns that women had not benefitted from current legislation on women empowerment, especially in the County Government. In Turkana County, four women-led peace forums were established . The women were engaged by the county governments to address cross-border issues with Uganda and South Sudan including GBV cases and cattle rustling, which resulted in enhanced regional cohesion among the border communities. Additionally, the peace forums influenced the county government's decision to establish a new police post in the border area to strengthen women’s safety and prevent GBV cases. In Bungoma and Kitui Counties, the women in the peace committee formed sub-county chapters of the national network of women in peace committees , which led to an increase of women in the County Peace Committees in the two counties from 30 in 2020 to 72 in 2022 representation in all 18 districts in Kitui, while in Bungoma the number rose from 28 in 2021 to 70 in 2022 in the 14 sub-counties. This is as a result of the enhanced training by CSO partners and active engagement in the multi stakeholder forums chaired by the County Commissioner. In Kitui, Kwale, Mombasa, Isiolo, Marsabit, Busia, Kisumu, Homabay, Siaya and Bungoma 10 women were appointed by the County Commissioners in 10 counties to be co-chairs of the County Peace Committees . This resulted in an increase from 19 to 29 women as co-chairs across the country attributed to the enhanced training and advocacy through the National Network of Women in the Peace Committees. 220 peace committee members are actively engaged in the development of the Turkana County Action Plan and Garissa County Action Plan. The women were empowered with knowledge on Women, Peace and Security agenda to promote women’s participation in peace and security efforts and conflict resolution mechanisms. . Additionally, one of the trained women was appointed as the County Executive Committee member on Gender in Garissa County in 2022 and 11 women were for the first time in history invited to sit in and contribute to discussions in the "tree of men" , a patriarchal decision-making body in Turkana County. Further, women from the National Network of women in Peace Committees in 33 counties, supported by UN Women, participated in a national-wide Peace Day during which women came out to demand peaceful elections from their leaders. Select women from the network i.e. Kitui, Uasin Gishu, Bungoma, Marsabit, Kwale, Mombasa, West Pokot, Busia, and Nairobi were later r ecognized by the H.E. President William Ruto for their role as peace champions during the Mashujaa day on 20th October 2022, additionally the Network Chair Mama Shamsa Abubakar was also nominated by UN Women as a peace champion and will be receiving an award from the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity in February 2023. UN Women contribution: Provision of technical support through review and providing inputs to different documents including the draft county KNAP, lobbying the County Governments for inclusion of KNAP II implementation budget in the 5-year County Integrated Development Plans, and facilitating consultation sessions during the development of the KNAP at county levels. This is in addition to the provision of grants to CSO partners that have been leading on the KNAP II localization efforts and implementation in the different counties. Below is the list of reporting and broadcasting confirmed: NTV “Wakimbizi wa Dadaab walalamikia serikali kwa kuwalaumu kila mara kwa ukosefu wa usalama” (20th July 2022) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzFwmKQcK3E&ab_channel=NTVKenya Nation “Turkana stakeholders raise alarm over rising defilement cases”(30th September 2022) https://nation.africa/kenya/news/gender/turkana-stakeholders-raise-alarm-over-rising-defilement-cases-3968266 RASLO COMMUNICATIONS “TAASISI JANGWANI”(30th September 2022) https://youtu.be/JK4-wH9tNB8 K24 TV Live (30th September 2022) https://youtu.be/t1fKXTI_Q_I KTN News (4 th October 2022) https://youtu.be/jGpDAslHmQc Nation “Drought: Turkana women on cross border peace mission” (17th October 2022) https://nation.africa/kenya/news/gender/drought-turkana-women-on-cross-border-peace-mission-3988054 Citizen TV Kenya “Vijana wasusia elimu Turkana” (26 th October 2022) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glAXMFCMO1E&ab_channel=CitizenTVKenya Star “Defilement increasing in Turkana” (27 th October 2022) https://www.the-star.co.ke/counties/rift-valley/2022-10-27-defilement-increasing-in-turkana/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs0Haqcg_Po&ab_channel=Nationhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-CPA6kW3vw&ab_channel=Nation