Empowering Justice: Sergeant Fardowsa’s Fight for Gender Equality and Access to Justice in Wajir
International Women’s Day 2025: A Call for Inclusion
On 8 March 2025, the world unites under the United Nations theme “For ALL women and girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.” This year’s theme underscores the urgent need to dismantle barriers faced by women in all their diversities — whether shaped by race, faith, disability, or geography. As the 69th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women reviews progress on the Beijing Declaration, stories like that of Sergeant Fardosa Yussuf in Kenya’s arid Wajir County remind us how localized action fuels global change.
A Day in the Life of Wajir’s Gender Desk Champion
At Wajir East Police Station, Sergeant Fardosa Yussuf navigates a role that demands equal parts grit and compassion. As the head of the Gender Desk, she tackles cases ranging from sexual violence and child labor to safeguarding vulnerable children. “Every day, we fight to restore dignity,” she says. “But we cannot do it alone.”
Her toolkit? A laptop, a cabinet, and a network of partnerships — resources that seem modest but have revolutionized her team’s efficiency. Thanks to Worthy Vision, a key implementing partner of UNDP’s Amkeni Wakenya, the Gender Desk will now be processing cases within 24 hours, a critical improvement in a region where delays often compound trauma.
How Partnership Drives Progress
Worthy Vision’s support extends beyond workshops in conference rooms. By training police officers on gender-sensitive approaches to GBV cases, they’ve transformed the Gender Desk into a beacon of trust. “Before, survivors hesitated to come forward. Now, they know we can act swiftly,” Sergeant Fardosa explains. The results speak volumes: reported GBV cases in Wajir have dropped significantly since the partnership began, a testament to the power of equipping frontline responders with skills and tools.
Yet challenges linger. “I could be transferred at any given moment,” Sergeant Fardosa notes. “We need more trained officers to sustain this work.” Her plea echoes a universal truth: empowerment requires investment in people, not just systems and policies.
Aligning Local Action with Global Goals
Sergeant Fardosa’s story embodies the 2025 International Women’s Day theme, “For ALL women and girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.” By advancing rights (spearheading Access to Justice), equality (championing gender-sensitive policing), and empowerment (building community trust), her work aligns with UNDP’s mandate to leave no one behind and mirrors the Beijing Platform’s call for institutional reforms to protect women and girls.
Central to this progress is the UNDP-EU partnership, which has amplified the impact of the Amkeni Wakenya Programme through strategic funding and technical support. By empowering UNDP to scale initiatives like Wajir’s Gender Desk, the European Union has enabled critical investments in training, infrastructure, and community engagement — key drivers behind the programme’s success in reducing GBV cases and restoring trust in justice systems. This collaboration merges EU resources with UNDP’s grassroots expertise, proving how global solidarity fuels tangible progress for marginalized women and girls. Beyond sustaining current efforts, the partnership paves the way for expansion into underserved regions, inviting stakeholders to join a proven model for equitable, sustainable change.
A Path Forward
As we celebrate Sergeant Fardosa, we are reminded that equality is not a distant ideal but a daily practice. Her resilience — and her call for more trained officers — challenges us to deepen support for women leading change on the frontlines.
This International Women’s Day, let us honor the Sergeant Fardosas of the world: those who turn policy into action, vulnerability into strength, and silence into justice. Their progress is our collective stride toward a future where all women and girls thrive.
Join the Conversation
This blog post aligns with UNDP’s commitment to amplifying voices driving the Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more about Amkeni Wakenya’s work [here].
About the author
Muviazalwa Ibrahim is a Project Communications Associate at UNDP Kenya
