This archive report was first published on 23 October 2019.
On October 15, 2019, a group of about 100 women from rural counties gathered at the Christian Leadership Centre in Nairobi to mark the International Day of Rural Women.
Established by the United Nations, this day recognizes the vital role rural and indigenous women play in enhancing agriculture, food security, and rural development.
Women in rural Africa, including Kenya, play a crucial role in sustaining families, nutrition, and community well-being, despite facing significant challenges.
According to data from the Kenya Land Alliance, only 10.3% of the three million title deeds issued between 2013 and 2017 went to women.
Groots Kenya, a national movement of grassroots woman-led community-based organizations, is working to empower rural women by ending discrimination in land reforms and promoting transparency in land control board appointments.
Women's rights organizations argue that grassroots rural women need to be represented in land boards to curb the culture of illegal property transfers without spousal consent.
By addressing these barriers, both government and civil society can work towards empowering rural women and promoting gender equality and equity in rural development.
