Act! in collaboration with the State Department for Gender and Affirmative Action (SDGAA), with support from the Embassy of Denmark in Kenya, launched the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Programme (2026-2028) with a special focus on Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) and informal settlements where women are often excluded from decision-making yet they bear the greatest burden of conflict.

The Programme aligns with international and national commitments, including United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, Kenya’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (KNAP III), Denmark’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (2025–2029), the African Union Continental Results Framework, and several Sustainable Development Goals.

We reflected on the commendable strides Kenya has made in advancing WPS and the lessons carried along. What remains clear is that critical gaps still persist (Fragmented intervention efforts; Entrenched patriarchal norms that limit women’s meaningful participation; & A critical need to deepen the WPS Agenda).

These challenges point to the need for a united, multi-sectoral approach to advancing the WPS agenda and KNAP III. To realise this transformation, the following pointers are integral:

• WPS must be approached through multi-sectoral and intersectional approaches where climate resilience, governance and human rights are inseparable.
• Economic must accompany every agenda we champion.
• WPS actions should be factual rather than emotive, grounded in data and evidence to influence policy.
• Male ally engagement Sustained Do No Harm protocols and male ally engagement must precede formal CAP processes.
• Upscaling mediation capacities and early warning systems.
• Tracking who chairs and sets agendas, not just who attends.
• Rebuilding referral pathways for GBV, strengthening digital protection, and GBV response auditing.
• Championing feminist accountability in the 2027 election cycle.

The event marked the dissemination of findings from WPS Baseline Survey and Contextual and Institutional Analysis highlighting barriers to women’s participation and chatting a transformation pathway for transformation.
The hallmark event culminated in the unveiling of a pledge for the Transformative Women, Peace and Security Partnership, committing stakeholders to move beyond symbolic participation towards measurable influence, localisation, protection and accountability for women in peacebuilding.
The launch comes at a critical time, as Kenya prepares for the 2027 General Election and faces growing climate-related conflicts in ASAL regions and persistent violence against women in public and political spaces.