Act! through the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Programme, funded by the Embassy of Denmark in Kenya, supported the National Steering Committee (NSC) on Women, Peace and Security to convene its quarterly coordination meeting in Nairobi.

The meeting brought together the State Department for Gender Affairs & Affirmative Action (SDGAA), the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission(IEBC), National Cohesion and Integration Commission, the National Police Service, The National Gender and Equality Commission-Kenya, UN Women, Rural Women Peace Link, County Governance Watch, Kenya National Commision on Human Rights (KNCHR), Office of The Registrar of Political Parties (ORPPKenya), Muslim women Advancement of Rights and Protection and other peacebuilders under one roof to take stock of progress in implementing Kenya’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (KNAP III) and strengthen preparedness as Kenya moves towards the 2027 General Elections.

A recurring message was clear: 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞. It is about women’s voices shaping decisions, policies, budgets and action.

The discussions highlighted several priorities:
📌 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐊𝐍𝐀𝐏 𝐈𝐈𝐈 — strengthening the link between national structures and county and community-level peace and security mechanisms.
📌 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚 — ensuring WPS priorities are integrated into institutional plans, programmes and budgets so commitments translate into sustained action.
📌 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞— connecting community-level information, women peacebuilders and existing national mechanisms to identify and respond to emerging risks.
📌 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟕 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 — strengthening gender-responsive election security, protecting women candidates and political actors, and ensuring women can participate safely and meaningfully throughout the electoral cycle.
📌 𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 — recognising women not only as people requiring protection, but as peacebuilders, mediators, negotiators, community leaders and decision-makers.

The meeting also underscored that sustained coordination between government, county structures, security and justice actors, women and youth organisations, civil society and development partners will be essential to deliver the WPS Agenda.

The task is not simply to ask whether women are represented. We must ask whether their voices are being heard, and their priorities reflected in the decisions that shape peace and security.

As the momentum from the International Day of Peace continues, Act! remains committed to supporting the coordination, partnerships and community-level action needed to translate the WPS agenda from policy into practice.