By Joyce Chimbi Giving birth to a new life is supposed to bring joy and happiness to the mother and family. But for women working in the horticulture industry, particularly flower farms, such an act is often a source of pain and sorry. Women workers often have to make painful choices of getting pregnant or […]
By AWC Feature Service The violations and abuse of human rights of women workers in flower farms in Kenya and other African countries took center stage at the ongoing Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York. Participants and women workers shared stories of having to work overtime without pay, especially during peak season that happens […]
By Caroline Wahome Kenya’s population is estimated at 50 million of whom 73% have access to electricity via either grid or off-grid electricity solutions. While the government is committed to providing electricity for all by 2022, grid extension can be slow and expensive. Hivos believes that decentralized renewable energy options such as solar mini-grids provide […]
By Levis Maina On 28 February 2019, I was invited to speak at the Human Resource professionals Open Forum organised by the Institute of Human Resources Management (IHRM) in collaboration with Hivos East Africa. Every time I think of ‘Human Resources’ (HR), my mind conjures up a bunch of job rejection letters I received, and […]
Hivos East Africa will host three side events at the sixty-third session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), which will take place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 11 – 22 March 2019. The events will be held together with partners who are implementing the Women@Work Campaign: Kenya Human Rights Commission, […]
By Caroline Wahome My father hardly cooked. I only remember two instances where he offered to prepare lunch. He didn’t go to the market either for groceries shopping. I can picture him with a ‘kiondo’ (woven basket) haggling over potato and cabbage price. That would never have happened. When he purchased land, he didn’t register […]
As the world celebrates International Women’s Day, this year’s theme #BalanceforBetter provides a breeding ground for recognizing the potential of a gender equal world in ending inequalities that continue to exist in our society. Hivos adds a voice to this momentous occasion by sharing the stories of some of the amazing and powerful women we support in East Africa, who in their own way are contributing to a gender balanced world.
Women account for more than half of the number people living with HIV globally. Further, they have borne the brunt of the disease in a context of gender inequality, violence and often not being prioritized in national responses except during pregnancy to prevent transmission. The disproportionate rates of infections amongst women point out to vulnerabilities […]
In Tanzania, people with albinism live in constant fear of being tortured, killed or persecuted. The home to Africa’s biggest mountain has been a breeding ground of hardship and injustice for this vulnerable group over the years. While the government has set up measures to ensure their physical safety; poverty, stigma, discrimination and segregation continue […]
For transwomen, navigating society’s conservative turf is a difficult tide they have to traverse. From misgendered labels to purported impostor syndrome; they constantly have to demand for a seat at the table as women. In Kenya, the situation is not any different, transgender persons (trans men and trans women in general) have often been classified […]
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that one in five women is likely to experience disability in her lifetime. For women with disability, the odds against them are double tiered; first for being a ‘woman’ and secondly as a person with disability, having limited access to opportunities such as education, justice, economic rights and the […]
Update: Today, May 24 2019, is a sad day indeed. The Kenyan High Court missed a golden opportunity to protect the human rights of all its citizens by failing to repeal section 162 of the penal code that criminalizes consensual sexual conduct between two adults of the same sex. So the struggle for human rights […]