The social change work of building a local women’s movement started in 2001. The main aim of this women’s movement or ‘Sauti ya Wanawake’ (loosely translated to mean ‘Women’s Voice’) as she is popularly known, was to create a safe space for women to discuss issues that affect them and as a forum that contributes to fighting for women’s rights. It sought to act as a mouthpiece to champion issues affecting women and allow them to challenge oppressive systems. This forum had its roots in earlier work with Action Aid Kenya when women said that they did not benefit from the community interventions that were being carried out in the area by Action Aid. This crucial insight emerged as a result of the transition by Action Aid Kenya to a new participatory review system known as ALPS1 (Accountability, Learning, and Planning System). As part of ALPS, annual participatory review and reflection processes with women and men separately had started happening, and genuine critique was encouraged, given, and responded to.

Women said that they felt excluded due to male dominance in development interventions and other problematic factors. This meant that women did not participate meaningfully and lacked the space to speak about their very personal concerns. When asked how they felt they could change their situation, the women expressed their need for a forum where they could be alone to talk and learn from each other. The first meetings took place with about 50 women in a church hall in Bombolulu village, this was the beginning of the women’s forum. Sauti is explicitly not involved in any service delivery or income generation activities. As the members are all also members of CBOs, they are under basic needs-related initiatives outside of Sauti.