BY SHABAN OMAR
More than 100 women in Lunga-Lunga Sub-County, Kwale County, have been sensitized against gender-based violence stemming from land and inheritance issues.
The awareness forum, organized by a local rights organization Nahugombe through the Kujenga Amani program sought to empower women with knowledge of their legal rights and how to seek redress when faced with violations.
The training also aims to foster peace and harmony within households by addressing the root causes of domestic conflicts that often lead to gender-based violence (GBV).
Moreover, the program emphasizes the importance of conflict resolution and communication within families, encouraging equitable decision-making and shared responsibilities to create a more stable and respectful environment for all members of the household.
Participants were educated on laws governing land ownership, succession, and gender equality as enshrined in the Kenyan Constitution.
According to Nahugombe Founder and Executive Director Nora Chao Many women in the region continue to face systemic discrimination, especially after the death of a spouse or during family land subdivisions.
Nahugombe Founder and Executive Director Nora Chao speaks in an interview at Kanana in Lunga-Lunga, Kwale County.
She said women are often denied the right to inherit land or are evicted from ancestral homes by in-laws, exposing them to economic hardship and social exclusion.
“The most common issue revealed is that the majority of women are unaware of their rights, and this ignorance is often exploited by others to deny them their inheritance and land ownership,” she said.
She added that lack of awareness and deeply entrenched cultural beliefs continue to undermine women’s rights.
Chao said during the training women were urged to obtain proper documentation such as marriage certificates and title deeds as a way of securing their land claims and other inheritance rights.
The officer encouraged women to report any form of abuse and to utilize available legal and psychosocial support systems.
Participants welcomed the training, saying it had opened their eyes to the legal tools available to fight injustices.
They appealed for more such initiatives, especially in remote areas where illiteracy and poverty hinder women from asserting their rights.
A resident Shenazi Harun acknowledged that many women lack the voice and platform to advocate for their rights, which significantly contributes to their continued marginalization.
A resident Shenazi Harun at Kanana Social Hall Services in Lunga-Lunga, Kwale County.
She noted that undocumented marriages, outdated cultural norms, and certain religious interpretations play a major role in undermining women’s rights, especially in relation to land ownership and inheritance.
Harun pointed out that religion is sometimes misused to justify gender inequality, even though many faiths advocate for fairness and justice.
She said that cultural practices which prioritize male inheritance continue to dominate many communities, despite constitutional provisions that guarantee equal rights for both men and women.
“When a woman’s marriage is not legally recognized, she becomes extremely vulnerable when her husband dies or during family disputes. She can easily be denied her rightful share of property,” she said.
She called for a shift in mindset, saying that women must no longer be treated as secondary citizens in matters of land and property.
Harun urged fellow women to speak out, seek legal assistance, and document their marriages and land agreements to protect themselves and their children from future exploitation.
A section of women attends a sensitization forum at Kanana Social Hall in Lunga-Lunga, Kwale County.
She called on the government and civil society to increase awareness campaigns and legal aid services, especially in rural areas where women are most vulnerable.
Another participant, Rukia Mwakulinga, praised the training, saying it opened her eyes to the hidden injustices that many women silently endure.
She admitted that, like many others in her community, she had grown up believing that it was normal for men to have full control over property and family decisions, while women were expected to remain submissive.
“I used to think that it was a man’s right to own everything and a woman’s duty to obey, but this training has made me realize that women also have rights that should be respected,” she said.
Mwakulinga expressed shock at learning that many of the practices she had accepted as normal were, in fact, forms of discrimination that robbed women of their dignity and economic independence.
She said the training helped her understand the importance of legal documents such as marriage certificates, wills, and land title deeds in securing women’s rights.
She emphasized the need for more community sensitization forums, especially targeting men and elders who often make key decisions in families.
“It’s not enough to educate women alone. Men also need to be part of these conversations so they stop seeing women as inferior,” Rukia said.
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