Women from 30 Kenyan counties convened at the National Rural Women’s Forum in Ol Kalou, Nyandarua County, organised by GROOTS Kenya to discuss land rights, leadership, livelihoods and climate change.

GROOTS Kenya Executive Director Eunice Mwangi said the forum brings together more than 5,000 grassroots groups with an estimated 100,000 women members, providing a platform to raise issues identified through village‑level consultations.

Mwangi highlighted cultural practices that prevent women from inheriting land, noting that widows and daughters are often excluded from succession after a family member’s death.

County officials, represented by Assistant County Commissioner Lentete Saitemo, affirmed government commitment to educate communities on women’s land‑ownership rights through public barazas and succession guidance.

The forum also promoted the Men for Women Champions initiative, engaging men and cultural leaders to address gender‑based violence and harmful traditions such as female genital mutilation.

Rural women representative Monica Keben from Baringo County described how GROOTS Kenya’s training since 2021 has enabled widows to generate income, send children to university and negotiate with local chiefs for their rights.

GROOTS Sacco leader Dorcus Kigera called for more women on school, hospital and other institutional boards, and urged women to contest elective positions at county and national levels.

Esther Kuria, a Champion Movement member, linked land ownership directly to economic independence, stressing that women need both legal title and the knowledge to use land productively.

Food security featured prominently, with farmer Wairimu Kanyiri noting that collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture has improved production, household food reserves and nutrition education.

Participants emphasized that the forum’s outcomes must translate into concrete actions in villages, aiming to shift women from beneficiaries of development programmes to recognized decision‑makers.