PBI-Kenya celebrates International Women’s Day with #EachforEqual dialogue, honours four women human rights defenders

On March 8, the Peace Brigades International-Kenya Project posted, “Today, on #iwd2020, the WHRD Toolkit Organizers celebrated International Women’s Day in Mathare with an #EachforEqual dialogue.”

“We talked about feminism, youth and politics, culture and religion, and the law and your rights. What does #EachforEqual mean to you?”

PBI-Kenya adds, “Thank you to all that participated, our panelists, entertainment, moderators and MC, and of course all those who organized the event!”

PBI-Kenya has previously explained that the #EachforEqual campaign encourages us all to “challenge stereotypes, fight bias, broaden perceptions, improve situations and celebrate women’s achievements.”

The four women human rights defenders that PBI-Kenya celebrated this International Women’s Day were: Grace Papa, Kate Wangui, Editar Ochieng, and Jecinter Agunja.

Grace Papa

We celebrate Grace Papa, a Women Human Rights Defender (WHRD) and a Community Health Worker (CHW) from Mukuru settlement. She has been involved in creating awareness on sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), particularly by monitoring and documenting SGBV cases, reporting them, and referring SGBV victims to health centers.

Grace Papa has been key for her community on sexual and reproductive health matters, including family planning and HIV infection prevention and management.

Kate Wangui

We celebrate Kate Wangui, a women human rights defender from the Kibera settlement. Her desire is to see women and girls living a violence-free life, and those who violate others held accountable for their actions.

Kate strongly believes that violence against women and girls denies them the opportunity to realize their potential fully. She is a mentor to young girls and a go-to person on matters of sexual and gender-based violence.

Kate envisions a life where the rights of women and girls are respected and will not rest until equality is achieved. An equal world is a better world!

Editar Ochieng

We celebrate Editar Ochieng, a feminist activist who defends women rights globally participating actively in issues that affect women and girls.

Editar is an authentic, courageous and transformational leader. As a proud and radical intersectional feminist, she doesn’t apologize for challenging power dynamics and patriarchal systems that oppresses women systematically. Editar contested the members of national assembly in Kibera constituency in the 2019 by-election, being the first young woman changing the status quo. She didn’t manage in this first bid, but she never loses hope.

Editar is a happily independent mother who raises her children using feminist approach. Thank you Editar for being brave, outspoken and a go getter.

Jecinter Agunja

We celebrate Jecinter Agunja, a women human rights defender and a co-convener of the Coalition of Grassroots Human Defenders -Kenya CGHRD Kenya. Jecinter has been instrumental in defending the rights of women and girls in the Mathare settlement.

She works tirelessly to ensure that girls go to school, child marriages and unplanned pregnancies are reduced and women are economically empowered. She is truly a woman who leads by example.

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