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By Elizabeth Angira
Kisii, Kenya: In a small village in Kenya’s Kisii County, 58-year-old Mama Mary Kerubo was about to begin her daily routine by preparing breakfast, washing clothes, and heading to her farm when a neighbor stopped her with a question:
“Do you know what International Women’s Day is and when it is celebrated?” She stopped, looked up, and offered a soft laugh in response.
“You said Women’s Day? I do not know it,” she replied matter-of-factly while shaking her head. “Is it like Mother’s Day?”
For Mama Kerubo, just like many women in rural Kenya, life has always revolved around tending her farm, raising children, and caring for grandchildren.
Her day begins before sunrise and often stretches late into the night when all her family members have gone to bed. Noting that discussions about international events rarely reach her village.
Information Gap Between the Rural and Urban Areas
Celebrated annually on March 8th, International Women’s Day received formal recognition from the United Nations (UN) in 1977. While the UN has designated its own distinct theme for 2026, “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls,” the event’s theme this year is Give to Gain.
“It is a day when women are recognised for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political,” the UN says.
Yet, every year on International Women’s Day, the world pauses to celebrate women like her, their work, their struggles, and their contributions to families and communities.
Many of the women whose lives reflect those struggles most closely have, however, never heard of the day.
“No one has ever told us about it,” says Kerubo, “Maybe it is something people in towns know.”
Her words reveal a quiet but important information gap between global conversations about women’s empowerment and the everyday realities of rural women.
The sun is high and the soil is getting warm and dry beneath her bare feet but Margaret Moraa, 40, is weeding her small vegetable farm a few kilometres away when the same question is posed to her.
She paused, and leaning on her jembe, replied: “I have heard something about Women’s Day maybe once on the radio.”
She could, however, not remember when it was marked.
“I do not know the date,” she admits “For us, every day we are working. Maybe those days are celebrated in towns.”
Like many rural women, Moraa’s responsibilities stretch far beyond the farm. She wakes early to prepare breakfast for her children before they leave for school. She walks to the nearby stream to fetch water, gathers firewood, cooks, tends the farm, and manages household chores.
The rhythm of her day rarely leaves room for public events or celebrations.
“Sometimes we hear things on the radio,” she says. “But we do not always understand what they mean.”
For Moraa, the idea of a day set aside to celebrate women feels distant from daily life.
“We are happy when our children eat and go to school,” she says. “That is what matters most.”
Her words capture the reality for many rural women whose work keeps households and communities running, yet often goes unrecognised.
Gen Z and the information age
Mercy Nyaboke, a 25-year-old vegetable vendor at a roadside market not far from the main road leading into Kisii town, occasionally scrolls through social media on her phone.
“I saw something about that day on Facebook last year,” she says. “People were posting pictures saying ‘Happy Women’s Day.’”
When asked what the day represents, she hesitates.
“Maybe it is about appreciating women,” she says, “But I have never attended any local event marking the day.
Her experience reflects the uneven awareness levels among younger women who have some access to digital information but remain disconnected from formal conversations about women’s rights and empowerment.
Sharon Gesare, 18, says she first heard about International Women’s Day through a radio programme.
“We do not talk about it much in school,” says Gesare, who aspires to be a nurse.
She believes more information could help girls her age think differently about their futures.
“If we were taught about it more, girls would understand their rights and opportunities,” she says.
She says many girls in rural areas still face challenges such as early pregnancy, limited resources, and social pressure that can cut short their education.
“Sometimes girls leave school because of those problems,” she says.
For her, awareness matters.
“When girls know their rights, they can protect themselves and plan their future,” she says.
Celebrating Women’s Achievements
Ruth Mogaka, a retired nurse , a trailblazer in gender advocacy , says the low awareness levels about the day is the tip of an iceberg of a wider challenge: global conversations about women’s rights do not always reach rural communities.
Mogaka says the day is meant to celebrate women’s achievements and push for equality.
“Awareness is uneven, especially in rural areas, where information travels more slowly,” Mogaka says.
Many celebrations take place in urban centers, conference halls, hotels, or government offices and information about women’s rights moves through channels such as social media campaigns, most of which rural women rarely access.
Rural women rely more on local radio, community meetings, or word-of-mouth communication.
As a result, the women who face the heaviest burdens of poverty, unpaid care work, and climate pressures are often left out of the conversations meant to support them.
“When the message does not reach those spaces, awareness remains limited,” she says.
Efforts to Reach Rural Women
Civil society groups say they are making efforts to close the information gap.
The International Solidarity Foundation (ISF) and Centre for Community Mobilisation and Empowerment (CECOME) are turning to community outreach to bring discussions about women’s rights closer to villages.
Community dialogues, school outreach programmes and rural radio campaigns are increasingly being used to explain the meaning of Women’s Day and the broader issues surrounding gender equality.
Community health promoters and local women’s groups also play an important role in sharing information.
Thomson Osoro of Rigena Human Rights activists, says grassroots networks often have direct relationships with households and can reach women who might otherwise remain disconnected from national or international campaigns.
“Rural women should not only hear about Women’s Day,” Osoro says “They should be part of it.”
Osoro says that bringing the conversation closer to communities helps women see how global discussions relate to their daily lives.
He says that when women understand the purpose of the day, it can become an opportunity to discuss issues such as access to education, economic empowerment, health services, and protection from violence.
A Call to Action
Leaders in Kisii County have called for renewed efforts to address challenges facing women, such as gender-based violence, femicide, girls’ defilement, and teenage pregnancies.
Grace Ouma, Kitutu South Deputy County Commissioner, says many barriers still prevent women from achieving full equality despite the progress made in advancing women’s rights.
Ouma notes that the Constitution of Kenya 2010, under Article 27(8), requires that no more than two-thirds of appointive or elective positions should be occupied by one gender.
She observes however that women’s representation in elective positions currently stands at about 23.7 percent, which remains significantly low.
“While progress has been made, as we commemorate this day we must continue working to ensure women gain equal opportunities in leadership and development,” says Ouma.
She notes that the government’s development frameworks such as the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) place strong emphasis on women’s empowerment by promoting economic inclusion and financial independence.
“Vision 2030 foresees women occupying better positions in society by prioritising their advancement politically, economically, and socially,” she says.
She emphasises that the celebration of International Women’s Day remains important because many women still face serious challenges.
“We must continue speaking out about these issues so that they are addressed and women are empowered to overcome poverty,” she adds.
Stella Achoki, Chairperson of the Community Service Organization in Kisii County, says the country should invest more time, resources, and influence to ensure women progress.
“We are seeing more women rising out of poverty and girls transitioning from primary to secondary school,” she says.
Still, Achoki stresses that the work is far from complete.
“There are milestones we have achieved, but we still need to do more to ensure women and girls fully realise their potential,” she said.
When Mama Kerubo learned more about why the day is marked globally, she smiled and said “It’s a good idea and I wish it would be celebrated here in the village.”
