Indigenous Women Council Marks 10 Years of Resilience and Leadership.
Nanyuki, Kenya — 9 August 2025 — As the world marked the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples under the theme “Indigenous Peoples and AI: Defending Rights, Shaping Futures”, Indigenous women leaders from across Kenya gathered in Nanyuki to celebrate a decade of resilience, leadership, and advocacy.
The Indigenous Women Council of Kenya (IWC), in collaboration with Samburu Women Trust, convened more than 300 Indigenous women from 23 counties, alongside representatives from Uganda and Tanzania, for the Annual National Indigenous Women Conference. The four-day event provided a platform for dialogue between Indigenous women and key government institutions including the National Gender and Equality Commission, Anti-FGM Board, National Land Commission, Kenya National Human Rights Commission, Office of the Ombudsman, and representatives of Indigenous women serving as Members of Parliament and Women Representatives.
Celebrating a Decade of Impact
The conference marked ten years of progress for Indigenous women across pastoralist, hunter-gatherer, and fisherfolk communities, including adolescents and women with disabilities. Milestones celebrated included:
- 20% inclusion of Indigenous women in decision-making spaces, with some honored through Head of State Commendations.
- Establishment of frameworks to secure land tenure rights for Indigenous communities.
- Tangible progress in combating harmful practices, including female genital mutilation (FGM).
- Increased representation of Indigenous women in political and community leadership roles.
- Creation of the Office of the Minority and Marginalized Unit, a new government body mandated to ensure that the voices of minority and marginalized groups are reflected in policy and decision-making.
Urgent Calls for Action
Despite these gains, participants raised pressing concerns. Delegates called for:
- Faster community land registration to address delays in ASAL counties such as Isiolo and Marsabit, and redress for historical land injustices.
- Stronger enforcement of penalties by the Anti-FGM Board, including integration of FGM awareness into school curricula.
- Resolution of unresolved human rights violations linked to mega-projects such as the Marsabit wind power project, KETRACO developments, LAPSSET, and British Army training operations.
- Enforcement of affirmative action policies to guarantee representation of Indigenous women, youth, and persons with disabilities in governance.
- Establishment of gender desks in police stations across Indigenous territories, prioritizing cases of gender-based violence and FGM.
Defending Rights in the Digital Age
This year’s global theme — Indigenous Peoples and AI: Defending Rights, Shaping Futures — spotlighted a new frontier of advocacy. Delegates emphasized the importance of Indigenous Data Sovereignty: the right of Indigenous Peoples to govern and protect data related to their cultures, lands, languages, and bodies.
“Women are reclaiming Indigenous seeds. Youth are organizing around water as a right, not a commodity. Elders are restoring traditional governance systems to protect communal lands,” said one participant. “What sustains us is not just advocacy — it is memory, and the moral clarity that this struggle is not for us alone, but for generations yet to come.”
Looking Ahead
The conference concluded with the adoption of a joint declaration consolidating the priorities and lived realities of Indigenous women. This declaration was amplified during the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples through wide-ranging media coverage.
As the IWC reflected on its 10-year journey, members reaffirmed their commitment to advancing Indigenous women’s leadership, securing land and resource rights, and ensuring that emerging technologies serve as tools for empowerment rather than exclusion.
