Advancing Equitable Gender, Social and Power Norms in Community Conservancies in Kenya (RISE 1)

Problem statement

Kenya's conservancies have evolved to respond to many challenges including resource conflict, habitat loss and fragmentation. They now cover over 7 million hectares and host the majority of wildlife living outside of state protected areas. However, the capacity of conservancies, and their landscape-level associations, to conserve biodiversity and benefit all their members is limited because they struggle to address women's exclusion.

In many areas of sustainable development — including land and natural resource governance and climate change — women are still largely excluded from decision-making processes at community, local and national levels. Patriarchy and extensive male networks embedded in most communities further entrench persistent and pervasive gender inequalities, perpetuated by myths, beliefs, attitudes and practices that hinder access to and control over resources, benefits, opportunities, representation and voice in leadership and decision-making at all levels.

Despite supportive legal and policy provisions, women comprise 2% of conservancy chairpersons, 8% of conservancy managers and 7% of conservancy rangers.

Project goal

To improve KWCA's capacity to prevent GBV and promote gender equity within conservancies in Kenya, and to serve as a resource for regional associations and member conservancies.

Project objectives

• Strengthen the institutional capacity of KWCA — including staff, policies, structures and culture — to promote gender equality and GBV prevention.
• Increase the consciousness and motivation of KWCA and TTWCA staff and leadership to reflect on their own biases and beliefs, enhance comfort in discussing sensitive issues, and motivate change in unequal gender and power norms.
• Promote gender equality and prevent GBV amongst its membership and their operations.
• Contribute to the GBV–environment evidence base in relation to access and control of land and natural resources, and the conservation initiatives designed to support their sustainable management.

Project activities

• Adapt and implement Social Analysis and Action for staff transformation within KWCA and TTWCA.
• Conduct a participatory gender audit of KWCA.
• Conduct a rapid gender and power analysis in Kasigau and Kitirua conservancies.
• Adapt and develop tools and guidance for addressing gender and GBV for member conservancies.
• Develop and roll out safeguarding policies for KWCA and TTWCA.
• Build the capacity of the National Conservancies Women Forum through training.
• Facilitate discussions with male conservancy leaders.
• Run regional exchanges and peer learning around equitable benefit sharing, gender equity and GBV prevention among TTWCA, MMWCA and AET.
• Implement Social Analysis and Action at Kasigau Conservancy.
• Develop a gender strategy for TTWCA.
• Review and update KWCA's gender strategy to integrate GBV and respond to the gender audit findings.