The Coalition on Violence Against Women – Kenya, COVAW (K), is a non-partisan and non-profit making national women’s human rights non-governmental organization registered in Kenya under the NGO Coordination Act. COVAW (K) was established in 1995 as a result of a workshop organized by WILDAF (Women in Law and development in Africa) that sought to strengthen the networking capacities of women organizations in Kenya. At this workshop, violence against women was identified as a serious women rights violation that needed concerted efforts to address. This saw the birth of COVAW (K).

 

Since inception, COVAW has continued to be instrumental in placing violence against women as a crime and a human rights violation and has spearheaded the campaign towards women having the right to be free from violence, the right to self defence and the right to state protection. COVAW believes that people have the capacity to learn and change their attitudes towards women. COVAW (K) beneficiaries are therefore women and girls.

 

VISION

A society that is free from all forms of gender-based violence within the domestic, private, public and political institutions

 

MISSION

Building social movements of change agents opposed to and committed to eradicating violence against women.

 

STRATEGIES

Building the capacity of communities to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls.
Lobbying for policy and legislative change aimed at securing women’s human rights within a human rights framework at both national and regional level.
Focussing on youth to create a generation that respects and upholds women’s rights.
Information, education and communication will be used to provide a resource base on issues of violence against women.

 

WHERE WE WORK

COVAW works in Kenya, East Africa.

Within Kenya, COVAW has worked with communities in Laikipia in Central province, Taita Taveta in Coast Province, Kajiado in Rift Valley Province, Kisumu in Nyanza province and Nakuru in Rift Valley province. In its advocacy work, COVAW collaborates with organizations and stakeholders at regional and international levels. In the future, COVAW plans to be involved in VAW knowledge generation and dissemination targeting the Africa region.