Deliver For Good Campaign In Kenya Launched To Advance Gender Equality & The Sustainable Development Goals

Civil society and government convene to promote a new advocacy initiative to fuel concrete actions that prioritize girls and women in sustainable development programmes and policies in Kenya.

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov. 28, 2018 /CNW/ -- More than 20 partner organizations today launched the Deliver for Good Kenya Campaign, a new advocacy initiative bringing together cross sector stakeholders to drive progress toward gender equality and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Kenya.

Initially launched at the global level during the Women Deliver Conference in 2016, the Deliver for Good Campaign applies a gender lens to the SDGs and promotes critical investments – political, financial, and programmatic – in girls and women to power progress that benefit all. The Campaign is supported by the governments of Canada and Denmark.

The launch of the Campaign in Kenya – the first focus country for dedicated advocacy and communication efforts – builds upon existing country activities.

"Gender equality advocates in Kenya are committed to working together towards our shared goals for girls and women," said Teresa Omondi-Adeitan, Executive Director of FIDA Kenya, the lead coordinating partner for the Campaign. "The Deliver for Good Campaign creates a necessary platform in Kenya to mobilize collectively around common goals that move us closer to achieving gender equality and the SDGs."

Since launched in 2016, more than 400 organizations globally have signed on to the Campaign, building a movement to catalyze action for girls and women.

"Kenya has a strong and impressive network of advocates working to prioritize girls and women at all levels of society," said Katja Iversen, President/CEO of Women Deliver – the organization that initiated the campaign. "The network of advocates, alongside the Government of Kenya – which has also shown a strong commitment to action on the Sustainable Development Agenda – creates a powerful force for impact. It is such an honor to be a part of this collaboration in Kenya and I offer my congratulations for the momentous step we are taking to drive transformative change together."

Now, with more than 20 organizations already signed on to the Kenya campaign, national partners have identified four priorities for collective action: 1) women's land rights, 2) women's access to financing and economic empowerment, 3) sexual and reproductive health, and 4) women's political participation including the enforcement of the two-thirds Gender Principle. Campaign partners have committed to helping to fill gender data gaps to more accurately reflect the realities faced by girls and women in Kenya and the need to prioritize them in sustainable development implementation efforts.  

Campaign partners strategically identified these diverse policy priorities because they are closely aligned with the Government of Kenya's Big Four Agenda and their existing commitments to prioritize gender equality at the national and subnational levels.

"We know there are strong policies and commitments in place," said Memory Kachambwa, the Executive Director of FEMNET – a Deliver for Good Campaign partner at the global and national levels. "Now we must work together and advocate to ensure they are implemented effectively and make the intended impact toward transforming the lived realities of girls and women in Kenya."   

In focusing on these policy priorities, Kenyan Campaign partners seek to accomplish three main goals, to:

1. Change the narrative around girls and women from vulnerable people to critical agents of change.
2. Mobilize stakeholders working across sectors and issues areas with a shared vision for a gender equal nation.
3. Inspire concrete action for the effective implementation of policies, programs, and investments that reflect the important role girls and women play in achieving the SDGs.   

"Over the last several years, we have seen women in Kenya rising to positions of leadership at all levels – within families, communities, and government," said Professor Margaret Kobia, Cabinet Secretary for Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs. "The Government is committed to working collaboratively – including with the Deliver for Good Kenya Campaign – to improve the lives of girls and women economically, socially, culturally, and politically. Committing to girls and women will benefit all Kenyans and help us to deliver effectively on our national development priorities."

Gender equality champions from the Governments of Canada and Denmark whose representative traveled to Nairobi for today's launch event and to learn from the efforts of leading organizations driving the agenda forward within communities.

"The launch of the Deliver for Good Campaign in Kenya comes at a time when gender equality movements are gaining momentum around the world," said Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary of Denmark – a Deliver for Good Campaign Influencer. "For me, one of the elements that makes the 'Deliver for Good' campaign unique and inspiring is that, rather than focusing on the problems, girls and women face – we know them all too well – it focuses on solutions and benefits and the resource that women and girls are. Partnerships are powerful and I am confident the Deliver for Good Kenya Campaign will demonstrate this."

Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary was joined by Ulla Tørnæs, Minister of Development Cooperation of Denmark. "The Government of Denmark has supported the Deliver for Good Campaign since it was first launched and has been a longtime partner for development in Kenya," said VIP. "From the global to the national levels, the evidence shows us that investing in girls and women isn't just the right thing to do, it is the smart thing to do and essential to achieving development goals in Kenya, in Denmark, and across the globe. More than ever, we need leadership and partnership to drive this common agenda for gender equality forward."

Isabelle Bérard, Assistant Deputy Minister for Environment and Climate Change in Canada, added: "Through the Government of Canada's Feminist International Assistance Policy, we have made a firm commitment to investing in gender equality advocacy at home and around the world. We look forward to working alongside Kenyan civil society and government in this commitment and to together charting a new way forward for girls and women in Kenya.  The Assistant Deputy Minister also said, "Canada is thrilled to host the Women Deliver Conference which will be a huge opportunity for us to further raise the profile of gender equality issues and to move the needle on women's and girls' empowerment in a concrete way."

The Campaign was formally launched today in Kenya at a high-level event co-hosted by Women Deliver, Deliver for Good Kenya partners, the Government of Denmark, and the Government of Canada.

Learn more about the Deliver for Good Kenya Campaign, see the partners and allies, and sign the Commitment to Girls and Women here.

To view the Deliver for Good Campaign advocacy strategy, click here.

About the Deliver for Good Campaign:
Deliver for Good is a global campaign, initiated by Women Deliver and partners that applies a gender lens to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and promotes critical investments in girls and women to power progress for all. The evidence-based advocacy campaign calls for enhanced policies, programming, and investments in girls and women. The Deliver for Good Campaign highlights the ripple effects of investing in girls and women so decision makers understand the central role that gender equality plays across all global development efforts. The global campaign was launched at the Women Deliver 2016 Conference held in Copenhagen, Denmark. In September 2017, India, Kenya, and Senegal were announced for dedicated advocacy work aiming to facilitate greater collaboration between government, NGOs, the private sector, UN agencies, and young people to ensure girls and women are prioritized in the local implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and other development plans.  Kenya is the first country implementing this national level campaign and is led by FIDA Kenya and a network of partners. The Deliver for Good campaign is made possible with the generous support of the Government of Canada and the Government of Denmark.

Media Contact: Kelsi Boyle, [email protected]

SOURCE Women Deliver