Kisumu Feminist’s Forum
“Redefining feminism in African Women’s views through the Celebration of young African feminists within inclusive-intersectional feminist spaces that are Afrocentric.”
Background
Kisumu Feminist Society legally registered as Winam Riwrwok Mar Hera was founded in October 2018 by a group of young women from kisumu and it’s environs who saw the need to have an intersectional and inclusive feminist movement in the region. The group is run by a diverse team of young women who came together after the Anti Femicide March and collectively decided to formalize the group so as to advocate for the rights of all women. Afrika who is a lesbian woman is currently the coordinator working together with 5-6 other persons acting as the advisory board members and part of the decision making body. Kisumu feminists forum currently has 60 members who are Cis-Het, LBQ, Trans and GNC.
- KFS sparks conversations around emerging issues and shed light on
them through advocacy. We organize protests, forums and other
events that highlight a particular topic with a specific list of demands
for the government or other decision makers. The last event was the
Anti Femicide March in Kenya which was held in March 2019 and
demanded that the government declare Femicide in Kenya an issue of
national emergency. A protest that brought together several human
rights organizations, activists and women leaders in government
which got so much visibility and the government attention. - KFS provides a platform that empowers women from diverse
backgrounds and who normally don’t get a seat at the table to speak
up about issues affecting ex. gender based violence and help provide
spaces where these women can converge, converse and come up with
strategies for dealing with these issues in a swift and effective
manner.
ACHIEVEMENTS.
- IN SEPTEMBER 2019, KISUMU FEMINISTS SOCIETY ORGANIZED A 5 DAY
FEMINIST CONVENING COURTESY OF GLOBAL FUND FOR WOMEN THAT HAD 50
WOMEN, TRANS AND GNC PERSONS GET TOGETHER TO UNPACK POLITICS
AROUND FEMICIDE AND POWER AND COME UP WITH A WAY FORWARD ON
HOW TO ORGANISE IN OUR FIGHT AGAINST FEMICIDE IN 2020. THIS ACTIVITY
HAPPENED IN KATITO, KISUMU AND HAD FEMINISTS FROM ALL PARTS OF
KENYA ATTEND. - KFS ORGANIZED THE ANTI FEMICIDE MARCH KISUMU VERSIO WHICH WAS
PART OF THE NATIONWIDE FEMICIDE MARCH IN KENYA THAT WAS HELD IN
MARCH 8TH 2019. THE MARCH WAS A WAY OF DEMANDING THAT THE
GOVERNMENT DECLARE FEMICIDE IN KENYA AN ISSUE OF NATIONAL
EMERGENCY AND IF POSSIBLE SET UP SYSTEMS THAT WORKED TOWARDS ITS PREVENTION AND ENSURING SURVIVORS GET JUSTICE.
Kisumu Feminists Society 