Overview
In Kenya, climate change poses a threat to the environment and communities that live around conservancies, with drought, resource use conflicts, degradation, and extreme weather patterns disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable – especially as gender-based violence is used as a barrier to reinforce norms around the roles women and girls can or can’t have in conservancies. As women experience physical and psychological abuse as a result of their engagement in conservancy governance and related economic activities, the Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association (KWCA) is continuing work through a second RISE grant in partnership with the Taita Taveta Wildlife Conservancies Association (TTWCA) on preventing gender-based violence and promoting gender equality in Kasigau conservancy in the Taita Taveta landscape. The project will also scale its previous work in the Kitirua conservancy based in the Amboseli landscape. By institutionalizing gender and gender-based violence safeguarding policies, addressing harmful social norms, engaging men and boys, and promoting women’s autonomy and independence, partners aim to end a culture of ‘can’t’ towards a culture of ‘can’ by strengthening women’s agency to meaningfully and safely participate in conservancies.
