KAACR the local partner of ECPAT/DCI of the four member She Leads Project being implemented in nine countries by Plan International, Terres des Homes, Defense for Children International (DCI) and FEMNET. KAACR is implementing the project in Mombasa, Kajiado counties with national outlook in Kenya
The outcomes of the project are:-
Outcome 1: A community with transformed social norms enabling GYW challenge (discriminatory) gender norms in Kajiado, Mombasa, Nairobi, Kwale, Homa bay and Kisumu Counties by 2025
The program engages influential community leaders (local, traditional, cultural and religious leaders) as champions of change who will eventually publicly challenge negative social norms and promote positive or alternative social norms. Leaders of Organized community groups and associations (youth, men and women) that have an influence on social norms will also be targeted. The program also acknowledges that men and boys are crucial partners and need to be fully engaged; adolescent boys 14-18 years and men 18-35 years will be involved as gender champions to positively influence gender norms. The program influences local traditional media to provide avenues for GYW feminists narratives, and an opportunity to influence the community at large. The program will also explore online and offline mainstream media strategic relationships, and use of art and theatre. Girls and young women feminists will be empowered and supported to access platforms where they can express their views and aspirations. Their narratives will gain more media exposure in support of their advocacy priorities and agendas. Subsequently, the gender role models (empowered boys and men, and GYW feminists) will publicly champion positive gender norms to ensure that the public is aware of the vulnerability and agency of GYW towards influencing the transformation of social norms in the wider community. Beneficiaries of these outcomes are individual GYW (ages 14-24), GYW led groups, community groups and associations for youth, men and women.
Assumptions:
- By challenging social norms, the community becomes transformational, which will address systemic and structural causes of vulnerability and marginalization of
- Knowledge and positive attitude and behaviour of boys and men at individual level, will translate into collective change and action to address inequality, vulnerability, exclusion and discrimination of GYW
- Change in feminism perception by the media will result in positive profiling and exposure of the feminists by the media, and positive acceptance by the
Outcome 2: Civil Society in Kajiado, Mombasa, Nairobi, Kwale, Homabay and Kisumu Counties, supports GYW to collectively participate and influence decisions at County and national level by 2025
The program engages GYW (primary targets 14-24 years, and secondary targets 24-30 years), especially those that are members of marginalized and disadvantaged groups, to build and strengthen their capacities to take lead and set their own (advocacy) agenda. Collectively, the GYW will be able to build agency in safe spaces with marginalized members of their peer groups. The girl-led groups and feminists will be empowered and supported to access funding, technical skills and access information to ensure they are better resourced for their collective action and activism. A key factor in driving the change will be an enabling environment that supports the GYW’s agency and actions. Various civil society entities will be engaged to influence their structures, policies, practices and agendas in order to support and provide the GYW-led groups with opportunities for leadership, resources, technical skills and create spaces for their meaningful participation in civil society. NGOs and CBOs will engage further support the empowerment of GYW, and creation of safe spaces for the voicing of GYW issues at different levels.
When the civil society actively engages GYW-led groups, they will be able to jointly monitor government performance on girls’ rights.
Beneficiaries will be; GYW (individuals & groups), CSOs, young individual feminists and activists, child-led organizations, feminist groups and organizations.
Assumptions:
- There will be an enabling environment for GYW and GYW-led social movements to build agency, participate actively and freely, and champion for their rights and
- Civil Society will have the will and capacity to enhance the preconditions necessary for GYW-led groups’ strengthening and resourcing, and to work with the GYW-led groups and feminists to hold the government to
Outcome 3: Government Institutions5 at County and national levels create opportunities and spaces that enhance meaningful participation of GYW in Kajiado, Mombasa, Nairobi, Kwale, Homa bay and Kisumu Counties by 2025
The program engages policy makers, decision makers and duty bearers from relevant ministries and departments aligned to GYW priority areas as well as social structure institutions like chiefs. They will be engaged as gender champions to influence policy change and/or review and accountability/implementation Civil society will be the forerunners in empowering the GYW to find their voices and secure their rights, including holding the government to account in upholding its commitments and obligations.
Increased public participation and influence of GYW and civil society will foster social accountability especially at the county levels providing GYW with platforms and resources to increasingly influence and inform government policies and initiatives. This will ensure that decision-making processes are more inclusive and ensure policies designed to protect poor and marginalized groups (GYW) are implemented.
The civil society foster linkages with county and national level networks to monitor the government’s implementation of national and Country level commitments in relation to international obligations on issues of gender equality, women and girls’ rights, their empowerment and participation. (CEDAW, UNCRC, ACRWC, CSW, UPR, HLPF/SDGs)
These efforts will lead to support of the strategic efforts by GYW for their representation in committees and other bodies in their Counties and at the national level, to increasingly inform government priorities and practices, aimed at promoting gender equality, equity and their rights. Beneficiaries in this outcome will be GYW (individuals & groups), CSOs, GYW human rights defenders/activists, policy makers, decision makers and duty bearers at county and national government.
Assumptions:
- The County and national government will be receptive to the programme, will remain willing to engage with civil society and have the political will to allocate resources and spaces, in order to promote the rights and opportunities of GYW
- Civil society will be recognized by both national and county governments to engage with them
- International institutions will create and enhance spaces for GYW and have political will to hold governments to
Beijing Children’s Legal Aid and Research Centre (BCLARC) is partnering with KAACR by supporting Legal Officer to train the Legal Officers into professional and leading child protection legal experts, so as to comprehensively improve the professional influence and sustainable development ability of the social sector.
The objective of the partnership is to;
- To strengthen and promote the development of child protection in Kenya;
- To build a more dynamic platform for child protection cooperation and encourage young and innovative persons to contribute to child rights protection and advocacy;
- To actively participate in local legislative and policy reform work related to child protection.
- To develop and strengthen the network of legal advocates for the rights of the children.
The CLEAR project builds on the gains of the CCSCCL project (2012 – 2018), utilizing good practices and lessons learnt to improve sustainable outcomes. The CLEAR project focuses on a set of priority actions and challenges that need to be addressed and which will yield significant impact. Major emphasis is on preventive strategies against the Worst Forms of Child Labour (WFCL), without neglecting children already involved in the WFCL.
The Objectives are:-
- Increase proactive and preventive strategies including public awareness and social mobilization for direct community action towards education of children especially boys and girls in those likely to enter child labour.
- Skills strengthening, knowledge management and opportunities to develop alternative forms of income for parents and caregivers to withdraw their children from hazardous and exploitative child labour.
- Enhanced advocacy through different platforms including media engagement and development of institutional capacities at National and County levels of governments, and within civil society framework to ensure the effective application of procedures and protocols;
KAACR is a lead agency of this CLEAR project that implemented with ADC through an integrated approach bringing various community based systems and structures into an implementation engagement with the CaR partners.
KAACR being the local (Kenya) partner of ECPAT International is supporting Disrupting Harm Research collecting evidence from 14 countries on the context, threats, and children’s perspectives of online child sexual. KAACR is supporting six primary research activities to fill gaps in knowledge about the context of online child sexual exploitation and abuse i.e. Interviews with national law enforcement and justice actors, Hotlines and helplines. Frontline service providers, Child victims and survivors, Parents and caregivers and Boys online
KAACR being the local (Kenya) partner of ECPAT International is supporting Disrupting Harm Research collecting evidence from 14 countries on the context, threats, and children’s perspectives of online child sexual. KAACR is supporting six primary research activities to fill gaps in knowledge about the context of online child sexual exploitation and abuse i.e. Interviews with national law enforcement and justice actors, Hotlines and helplines. Frontline service providers, Child victims and survivors, Parents and caregivers and Boys online
KAACR in partnership with United Church of Canada (UCC) is implementing a project of empowering children and youth to claim their rights in the Society in Kisumu, Vihiga and Kakamega Counties. The project which targets former Child Rights Club members under the emblem of Children Ambassadors and children in CRCs, enjoys the support and goodwill from government and other stakeholders.
The objectives of the project are:-
- To empower Children and Youth on their rights through child-led movements by Strengthening and Establishing Child right Clubs in Schools, inter County Youth Exchange Visits and convening Peace building days for youth per county to discuss importance of maintaining peace during elections
- To create platforms for creating awareness on importance of respecting human/children rights to participation by holding Christmas Action, supporting Children to mark Annual Children Events – Day of the African Child, World Orphan Day, and Universal Children Week, contributing support to needy children and youth in schools & colleges and Supporting youth to participate in Annual National Workshop for Children Sector
The Children Ambassadors play a lead role in the activities of this project