About Us

About Us

We Champion For Women's Rights

In 2011 Sauti Ya Wanawake Pwani was legally registered as an NGO under the Ministry of State for National Heritage and Culture. SYWP was formed to act as a mouthpiece to champion issues affecting women and to challenge oppressive systems.

Sauti Ya Wanawake for over a decade now has worked with grassroots women organizations known as Sauti Chapters all over the six counties of the coastal region of Kenya that is, Kilifi, Kwale, Lamu, Mombasa, Taita Taveta, and Tana River, mainly tackling the entrenched cultural norms and challenging oppressive structures.

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Our Mission

Advocacy for equality in all spheres of life through working with the most vulnerable populace at the grassroots level for positive social change.

Our Vision

A society devoid of women and children's rights violations for positive social change.

Our Values

Our core values are respect and solidarity with women and children, transparency, accountability, confidentiality, assertiveness, honesty, teamwork, integrity, and non-partisanship.

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ORIGINS OF SAUTI YA WANAWAKE PWANI

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.

What We Do?

We’re On A Mission To Advocate For Women And Children's Rights

A Safe Space For Women,Girls and Children

Providing Linkages

We provide the connection between communities, government and other key players forming strong networks with other organizations in order to push for gender equity.

Solidarity

In the Coast region we establish a strong women's movement tightly linked to other movements. This interconnection aims to amplify our impact and advocate collectively for women's rights, building a network of empowerment across various fonts.

Safe Space

Create a secure environment where women can openly converse about topics that impact their lives. Establish a protected space for discussions concerning women's issues. Offer a safe platform for women to address their concerns.

Education

Offer chances for women to acquire knowledge and education. Create avenues for women to access information and enhance their learning. Provide opportunities for women to expand their understanding and skills.

Our Causes

Main Focus Areas

Women's Right,Leadership and Governance

Sauti Ya Wanawake Pwani empowers women and girls to actively participate in decision-making, supports their leadership and electoral involvement, and works to overcome societal barriers to women's social and political engagement.

Girls' Education And Children's Rights

We partner with communities and government to ensure girls' enrollment, retention, and completion by addressing gender gaps, promoting children’s rights, improving school infrastructure, and encouraging parental support to reduce dropouts.

Gender-Based Violence Against Women And Girls

Sauti Ya Wanawake Pwani holds community forums to educate on women’s rights, effects of violence against women and girls, and gathers support from local leaders, chiefs, and village elders.

PeaceBuilding,Emergency Handling And Conflict Resolution

We address conflict drivers like ethnicity, religion, and resource control by promoting non-violent peacebuilding, ensuring a safe, peaceful environment and reducing gender-based violence affecting women and children.

Women Economic Empowerment

Economically disempowered women face community exclusion and greater vulnerability to gender-based violence; Sauti engages them in income-generating activities and supports access to devolved funds for empowerment.

Countering Effects of Climate Change

Women in Kenya’s rural areas, who provide 80% of agricultural labor, are most affected by climate change due to limited access to resources; Sauti helps counter these impacts.

Our Team

Our Amazing Leadership

Our Values

Virtues That Govern Us

Respect

Respect is fundamental to our mission, fostering an environment where every voice is valued and promoting inclusivity

Honesty

Honesty fosters trust within our organisation and with the communities we serve.

Transparency

Transparency builds confidence with the communities we support, encouraging openness, responsibility

Professionalism

Professionalism enhances credibility with the communities we support, upholding high standards, respect, and ethical conduct.

Assertiveness

Assertiveness empowers us and the communities we support by promoting confident advocacy, clear communication, and a proactive approach,strengthening our mission to champion women’s rights and inspire positive change.

Partnership

Partnerships empower our organization and the communities we serve by fostering collaboration, shared resources, and mutual support, amplifying our collective impact and advancing our mission to advocate for women’s rights.

Accountability

Accountability reinforces trust within our organisation and among the communities we serve by ensuring responsibility, transparency, and ethical stewardship, which strengthens our mission to advocate effectively for women’s rights.

Solidarity

Solidarity strengthens our commitment to the communities we serve, fostering unity, shared purpose, and mutual support, which amplifies our collective efforts to advocate for women’s rights and drive meaningful change.

Our Partners

Our Supportive Collaborators

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