KEPSA attended a two-day training on Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI), which is a foundational approach to ensuring that all individuals, regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, or socio-economic status, have equitable access to rights, resources, and opportunities. The training was held between 24^th and 25^th June 2025 at the Jacaranda Hotel, Westlands.

The training focused on key concepts such as gender, sex, gender equality, and gender equity to help distinguish between biological differences and socially constructed roles, while intersectionality highlighted how overlapping identities compound discrimination.

In the land sector, GESI is particularly critical, as land ownership and control are central to economic empowerment, social status, and political participation. However, systemic inequalities persist, often excluding women and marginalised groups from land rights through direct, indirect, and structural means.

The Ardhi Caucus has taken a proactive role in addressing these issues by integrating GESI into its thematic focus areas. These include the protection and recognition of communally held land, tenure security for smallholder farmers, access to land justice, promotion of women’s land rights, and climate change adaptation. The Caucus has identified opportunities to strengthen legal frameworks, build institutional capacity, and promote inclusive participation in land governance.

Moving from awareness to action, the Caucus emphasises practical tools for GESI integration, such as gender analysis frameworks, participatory planning, and gender-responsive budgeting. Strategies to advance women’s land rights in Kenya include legal literacy, support for women’s networks, and strategic litigation. Meaningful participation is key, ensuring that women are not only present but influential in decision-making processes. Action plans at both individual and organisational levels are essential for sustained progress.

Effective GESI analysis follows a four-step process: commit (through policy and accountability), assess (via analysis and resource allocation), address (through training and empowerment), and monitor (using specific indicators and enforcement mechanisms). In East Africa, promoting women’s land tenure rights also involves transforming social and peer norms, particularly around widow inheritance and family dynamics. In Kenya, cultural structures, legal provisions, and decision-making hierarchies often marginalise women. Alternative Justice Systems (AJS), recognised under Article 159 of the Constitution, offer both challenges and opportunities for women’s land rights. Issues such as inheritance, matrimonial property, and negotiating power remain central, and strategic litigation continues to be a powerful tool for driving progressive change.