Management Response

: Kenya
: 2023 - 2025 , Kenya (CO)
: End-line evaluation for the Canada-funded Enhancing women's political participation in political leadership and decision-making Programme 2021 -2025
:
:

Kenya

:

The management response to the end term evaluation for the Project Enhancing Women’s Participation in Political Leadership and Decision-Making in Kenya funded by the Global Affairs Canada (GAC) reflects a strong commitment by UN Women Kenya to evidence based learning, accountability, and continuous programme improvement. The evaluation process provided a timely opportunity to critically reflect on the project’s design, implementation experience, and results achieved across national and county levels, while also capturing emerging lessons that extend beyond the scope of the formal recommendations. The evaluation was undertaken in a complex and politically dynamic context marked by electoral cycles, heightened risks of violence against women in politics, and evolving institutional arrangements. Despite these challenges, the evaluation process was participatory and inclusive, engaging a wide range of stakeholders from government institutions, civil society, media, faith based organizations, and women leaders. The use of mixed methods enabled triangulation of findings and enriched understanding of how structural, institutional, and sociocultural barriers interact to shape women’s political participation. UN Women Kenya welcomes the evaluation findings and recommendations and has already begun integrating them into strategic planning and programme design. Key lessons are being applied to strengthen future interventions under the Strategic Note 2023 to 2026, particularly in relation to sustainability, institutional ownership, and the need for deeper engagement with political parties, security actors, and norm shaping institutions. The evaluation also reinforced the value of combining individual capacity strengthening with systemic reforms and social norm change initiatives to achieve durable outcomes. Importantly, the evaluation highlighted areas requiring continued attention, including intersectional data gaps, long term protection mechanisms for women leaders, and the need to institutionalize gains beyond project cycles. UN Women Kenya will continue to follow up on the recommendations through ongoing programming, partnerships, and policy engagement, while ensuring that lessons from this project inform future initiatives aimed at advancing women’s political leadership, inclusive governance, and democratic accountability in Kenya.

: Approved
Recommendation: Allocate ring-fenced budget lines within women’s political participation (WPP) programmes for grassroots mobilization & institutionalize participatory planning platforms that empower local WROs, youth, and Women with Disabilities to set the agenda, not just implement.
Management Response: KCO will ensure that future Women’s Political Participation programming is designed to systematically elevate the role of grassroots actors especially WROs in shaping priorities and strategies. Programme budgeting and planning processes will be strengthened to provide sustained support for community level engagement and advocacy, with particular attention to women’s rights organizations, youth led groups, and organizations of women with disabilities as agenda setter
More detail
Description: The recommendation aims at ensuring predictable support and inclusive decision making within women’s political participation programmes, enabling local women’s rights organizations, youth, and women with disabilities to actively shape priorities and advocacy agendas rather than only implement activities.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Governance and participation in public life
Operating Principles: Oversight/governance, Capacity development, Promoting inclusiveness/Leaving no one behind
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Relevance, Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
In the lead to the 2027 general elections, KCO will start early engagement with grassroots actors, particularly women’s rights organizations, youth led groups, and organizations of women with disabilities, to ensure their priorities meaningfully inform programme strategies, workplans, and resource allocation. Head of Programme 2027/03 Not Initiated This action remains applicable and will be implemented progressively within existing and future Women’s Political Participation programming cycles. KCO will operationalize this commitment through adjustments to programme design and budgeting processes during annual work planning and resource allocation.
Recommendation: Establish intergenerational and cross-county coalitions linking grassroots WROs, youth, and national advocacy actors and provide targeted capacity-building in fundraising, proposal writing, and communications, and amplify grassroots outcomes through media partnerships.
Management Response: Future programming on Women’s Political Participation will strengthen intergenerational dialogue between youth and experienced women leaders within national and county advocacy fora, with particular attention to leadership transition and mentorship as women leaders move between electoral cycles and governance spaces. The focus will also include capacity building for youth led women’s rights organizations to strengthen their ability to mobilize resources for advocacy, movement building, and sustained political engagement beyond project funding cycles.
More detail
Description: The recommendation aims at strengthening collaboration and knowledge exchange between grassroots women’s rights organizations, youth, and national advocacy actors, while enhancing their capacity to mobilize resources, communicate effectively, and elevate local priorities and outcomes through strategic media engagement.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Governance and participation in public life
Operating Principles: Oversight/governance, Capacity development, Promoting inclusiveness/Leaving no one behind
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities, Youth engagement
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
By last quarter of 2026, ahead of the 2027 general elections, KCO will convene structured planning dialogues with grassroots WROs, youth led groups, and organizations of women with disabilities to co define advocacy priorities reflected in WPP programme design and resourcing. Head of Programme 2026/12 Not Initiated This action remains applicable and will be integrated into the design of future Women’s Political Participation programmes
Recommendation: Mainstream digital safety and cyber resilience into WPP programming, train women leaders and aspirants on online protection, collaborate with tech companies, ICT authorities, and law enforcement to strengthen response frameworks to advocate for the enforcement of cyber-harassment legislation.
Management Response: KCO has already started integrating digital safety and cyber resilience considerations into Women’s Political Participation programming, and future interventions will further strengthen this focus. Programming will support women leaders and aspirants to build practical skills to prevent, respond to, and report online abuse, while advancing coordinated engagement with ICT authorities, technology platforms, and law enforcement actors to strengthen response mechanisms and promote effective enforcement of existing cyber harassment legislation.
More detail
Description: The recommendation aims at strengthening women’s political participation by integrating digital safety and cyber resilience into programming, equipping women leaders and aspirants with online protection skills, and improving institutional responses to cyber harassment through coordinated partnerships and enforcement.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Governance and participation in public life, Ending violence against women
Operating Principles: Capacity development, National ownership, Advocacy
Organizational Priorities: Normative Support, Operational activities
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Relevance, Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
By end 2026, KCO will deliver targeted digital safety and cyber resilience trainings for women leaders and aspirants in priority counties, focusing on online risk prevention, reporting pathways, and evidence preservation. Head of Programme 2027/03 Initiated Digital safety actions will be embedded within leadership development and protection components, drawing on existing partnerships and technical expertise.
KCO will convene multi stakeholder coordination forums with ICT authorities, technology platforms, and law enforcement agencies ahead of the 2027 elections to strengthen referral, response, and enforcement mechanisms for cyber harassment cases. Head of Programme 2027/03 Not Initiated Implementation will be aligned with available resources and emerging digital risks, with progress tracked through routine monitoring, learning, and reporting mechanisms
Recommendation: Advocate for gender-responsive campaign finance regulation and strengthen women’s financial literacy and access to credit through partnerships with financial institutions and microfinance schemes and Integrate economic empowerment into WPP policy frameworks.
Management Response: KCO will advance advocacy on gender responsive campaign financing by working with electoral management bodies such as ORPP and IEBC, as well as political parties. UN Women will also support women leaders to strengthen financial literacy and access to credit through partnerships with financial and microfinance institutions. - KCO has already begun integrating women’s economic empowerment as a cross cutting priority within Women’s Political Participation programming and will continue to ensure it is systematically embedded across all thematic areas. Future interventions will further strengthen the link between economic empowerment, leadership, and political participation to address structural barriers that limit women’s sustained engagement in political and governance processes
More detail
Description: The recommendation aims at reducing financial barriers to women’s political participation by promoting gender responsive campaign finance regulations, strengthening women’s financial literacy and access to credit, and embedding economic empowerment within women’s political participation policy frameworks.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Governance and participation in public life
Operating Principles: Oversight/governance, Capacity development, Advocacy
Organizational Priorities: Partnership, Normative Support, Operational activities
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Ahead of the 2027 elections, KCO will support targeted financial literacy and resource mobilization clinics for women aspirants through partnerships with financial institutions and microfinance schemes. Head of Programme 2027/03 Not Initiated This action is applicable and will be further integrated into future Women’s Political Participation programming. Implementation will be aligned with electoral cycles, partner mandates, and available resources, with progress tracked through routine programme monitoring and reporting.
KCO will continue to embed economic empowerment considerations into WPP programme design templates and guidance notes to ensure consistent integration across all thematic areas. Head of Programme 2027/07 Initiated This action is ongoing and does not require a separate implementation framework. Economic empowerment considerations will continue to be mainstreamed through programme design, partnerships, and policy engagement, aligned with existing resources and strategic priorities.
Recommendation: Reinstate gender mainstreaming indicators in County Integrated Development Plans (CIDPs), Institutionalize gender-responsive budget lines and tracking tools within county treasuries and assemblies and establish accountability frameworks for monitoring progress.
Management Response: KCO has already supported the inclusion of gender mainstreaming indicators within County Integrated Development Plans and will continue to strengthen this work to ensure county planning frameworks systematically reflect gender equality and women’s empowerment priorities. - Institutionalizing gender responsive budget lines and tracking tools within county treasuries and assemblies is primarily the mandate of county governments. KCO will continue to support this agenda through technical guidance, policy dialogue, and advocacy, encouraging counties to strengthen accountability frameworks and monitor progress on gender responsive budgeting within existing planning and oversight structures.
More detail
Description: The recommendation aims at strengthening gender responsive planning and accountability at county level by embedding gender indicators in CIDPs, promoting gender responsive budgeting and tracking within county institutions, and improving monitoring of progress on gender equality commitments.
Management Response Category: Partially Accepted
Thematic Area: Governance and participation in public life
Operating Principles: Oversight/governance, Capacity development
Organizational Priorities: Normative Support, Operational activities
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Sustainability, Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
KCO will provide targeted technical support to selected county governments during development of CIDP IV and implementation processes to strengthen the use of gender mainstreaming indicators and align them with county planning and reporting frameworks. Head of Programme 2027/12 Not Initiated Implementation will be aligned with CIDP cycles and available resources
KCO will provide ongoing technical inputs and policy advice to county treasuries and assemblies, through existing government led forums and planning processes, to encourage adoption and use of gender responsive budgeting tools and accountability mechanisms aligned with county budgeting and oversight cycles. Head of Programme 2026/12 Initiated This action is dependent on the willingness and commitment of county governments. KCO’s role will be advisory and catalytic, providing technical inputs through existing government led processes rather than direct convening. Progress will therefore be incremental and reflected through policy uptake and practice changes at county level.
Recommendation: Resource and operationalize Gender Justice Courts and strengthen coordination between the Judiciary, NPS, and ORPP for enforcement of electoral laws and introduce mandatory reporting of VAWP cases in election monitoring systems.
Management Response: Resource and operationalize Gender Justice Courts and strengthen coordination between the Judiciary, the National Police Service, and the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties remains an ongoing priority. KCO continues to support inter institutional coordination and advocacy to strengthen enforcement of electoral laws and promote the integration of mandatory reporting of violence against women in politics within existing election monitoring systems.
More detail
Description: The recommendation aims at strengthening accountability and protection for women in politics by operationalizing Gender Justice Courts, improving coordination among justice and security institutions, and ensuring systematic reporting of violence against women in politics within election monitoring systems.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Governance and participation in public life, Ending violence against women
Operating Principles: Capacity development
Organizational Priorities: Normative Support, Operational activities
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Ahead of the 2027 general elections, KCO will provide targeted technical support and advocacy to justice and security institutions to strengthen coordination on Gender Justice Courts and promote integration of violence against women in politics reporting within existing election monitoring systems. Head of Programme 2027/03 Initiated This action is ongoing and will be advanced through continued policy engagement, technical support, and coordination with relevant institutions. Implementation is dependent on institutional mandates, resource availability, and electoral timelines
Recommendation: Partner with digital rights and psychosocial support organizations to provide counselling, mentorship, and digital literacy programmes for women leaders, youth, and WWDs and establish peer-support networks at county level.
Management Response: KCO will strengthen collaboration with digital rights and psychosocial support organizations to integrate counselling, mentorship, and digital literacy support within Women’s Political Participation programming. Future interventions will also promote peer support networks at county level to enhance collective resilience, knowledge sharing, and sustained engagement of women leaders, youth, and women with disabilities.
More detail
Description: The recommendation aims at strengthening the resilience, wellbeing, and digital capacity of women leaders, youth, and women with disabilities by expanding access to psychosocial support, mentorship, digital literacy, and peer support networks at county level.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Governance and participation in public life, Ending violence against women
Operating Principles: Alignment with strategy, Promoting inclusiveness/Leaving no one behind
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Sustainability, Impact, Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
In 2026, KCO will integrate counselling, mentorship, and digital literacy support into Women’s Political Participation activities through partnerships with digital rights and psychosocial organizations, and support the formation of county level peer support networks for women leaders, youth, and women with disabilities. Head of Programme 2026/12 Initiated This action is applicable and will be implemented through partnerships and existing programme platforms rather than standalone structures. KCO will leverage specialized partners and align activities with available resources and county level priorities. Progress will be tracked through routine monitoring, learning, and reporting processes