Help Women in Kenya Confront Climate Change

Climate disasters disrupt communities’ access to basic resources and essential support services, with disproportionate consequences to women, girls, and other marginalized groups. For this reason, risks of gender-based violence increase in the wake of environmental disasters, particularly in communities on the frontlines of climate chaos. Creating awareness about these linkages is essential for preventing violence, addressing the root causes of inequality, and delivering support to survivors.

With your donations, MADRE invests in intergenerational climate programming that addresses the connections between gender-based violence and climate breakdown. This year, over 1,000 Indigenous women and girls in Kenya participated in gender-based violence prevention learning sessions facilitated by MADRE’s partner, the Indigenous Information Network (IIN). These trainings provided participants with a basic understanding of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the landmark General Recommendation No.39 (2022) on the rights of Indigenous women and girls. Together, these documents address the specific, often intersecting forms of discrimination, violence, and human rights violations faced by Indigenous women and girls. Human rights education is a fundamental first step towards ensuring that Indigenous women and girls can enjoy all their human rights, including their collective rights to land, culture, and self-determination.

By highlighting connections between gender-based violence and climate change through a human rights-based framework, this activity equipped women and girls with the tools to identify, address, and advocate for more inclusive and effective responses to both issues. Following the training, the community strongly endorsed the inclusion of young Indigenous women and girls in these programs, recognizing the tangible impact of IIN’s engagement. 

As our partner shared: 

“The women and elders have strongly recommended that we continue fitting in girls and youth in our activities because it has brought positive change. They highlighted that the impact was visible and especially on sexual and reproductive health. [Participation in the training] has prevented school drop out, reduced the rate of early pregnancies, and increased interest in girls' education.”

Your donations resource the leadership of Indigenous women and girls fighting for climate and gender justice. Thank you!

In April 2025, MADRE supported a delegation of four Indigenous Women Climate Defenders from Africa to attend the United Nations Permanent Forum for Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), including two activists from Kenya––Cindy Kobei, chair and founder of the Tirap Youth Trust, and Faith Saning’o, project manager of Indigenous Information Network (IIN). 

This delegation made up the panel in MADRE’s side event, titled “Reflections on Climate Justice From Indigenous Feminist Peacebuilders: Perspectives from the Horn and East Africa.” During the event, delegates shared specific strategies and approaches that they have used to achieve meaningful climate policy influence and implementation, community participation, and recognition of Indigenous knowledge and leadership. For example, Faith Saning’o described the importance of gathering with other Indigenous Peoples—whether in local community centers or international convenings like UNPFII—to share stories, find commonalities, and build networks and alliances that can then be mobilized for advocacy and collaboration. 

In addition to the side event, the MADRE-supported delegation presented a statement to the Forum. This statement highlighted the urgent needs of the delegates' communities, each experiencing forced displacement due to war, extractive industry, authoritarian violence, and state neglect. Together, they called for an end to displacement and violent repression of Indigenous Peoples, the recognition of Indigenous Peoples' Rights in all climate-related legislation, the full funding of communities facing the impacts of environmental breakdown, amongst other critical actions. A copy of the statement and a picture of MADRE delegate Cindy Kobei reading it can be seen below.

Your donations support this vital work. Thank you for standing with women climate defenders!

• Statement made by MADRE's UNPFII 2025 Delegation (PDF)