Help Women in Kenya Confront Climate Change

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.

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