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By Lenah Bosibori
Nairobi, Kenya: The Center for Rights Education and Awareness (CREAW) has launched its 2026 to 2030 strategic plan, pledging renewed efforts to protect the rights of women and girls amid rising cases of femicide and gender-based violence in Kenya.
Speaking during the launch in Nairobi, Angelina Cikanda CREAW’s Partnerships said the new strategy will focus on changing harmful social norms and strengthening protection systems for women and girls across the country.
“Today marks a very important milestone where we are launching our strategic plan for 2026 to 2030, declaring our commitment to serve the women and girls of Kenya,” Cikanda said.
She noted that while Kenya has progressive laws and policies meant to protect women and girls, violence continues because of deeply rooted cultural beliefs and behaviors that normalize abuse.
“Our laws and policies are important because they guide how we act and address some of these challenges. But we continue to have deeply rooted cultural norms that negatively affect women and enforce violence against women and girls,” she said.
According to Cikanda, the organization’s new strategy goes beyond awareness campaigns and focuses on behavioral change within families and communities.
The plan includes engaging both men and women in conversations around conflict resolution, parenting, and non-violent communication. CREAW will also apply gender transformative models already tested in different parts of Africa, including the “Marisha Mausiano” approach and social analysis methodologies aimed at promoting healthy relationships and peaceful coexistence.
“We want communities to rethink how they respond to conflict and adopt nonviolent ways of communicating without hurting one another,” she said.
Cikanda called on the government to strengthen enforcement of laws protecting women and children, saying justice must not only exist on paper but also be experienced by survivors.
She urged institutions including the police, judiciary, community leaders, and civil society organizations to take greater responsibility in addressing violence cases and ensuring accountability. “The government has a bigger role to play because it is responsible for the safety and care of all citizens. Cases presented in court should be handled with the urgency they deserve,” she said.
She also stressed the importance of rehabilitation programs for perpetrators of violence and greater community involvement in prevention efforts.
Cikanda further said many people grow up in environments where violence and insults are normalized in relationships, making it difficult to break the cycle of abuse.
She warned that violence against children continues to threaten the future of society, citing reports indicating that thousands of children experience abuse daily. According to data, Kenya continues to face a growing gender-based violence crisis.
Recent reports documenting at least 220 femicide cases in 2025 alone, while police statistics show hundreds of women continue to be killed every year amid rising concerns over weak protection systems and harmful social norms.
“We must sit together as communities, hold hands, and work together to change the situation,” she said.
CREAW says the new five-year strategy will focus on community engagement, accountability, and transforming harmful social attitudes in an effort to reduce violence against women and children in Kenya.
