The Power of the Law in the Hands of Indigenous Women

Indigenous Maasai Women in Kenya live in a patriarchal society in which men are the sole guardians of the law. To address this historical marginalization, the project set out to place the power of the law in the hands of women by building a community-based legal framework. 

With this objective, a favourable environment was created for women’s access to justice. Gender-sensitive justice institutions and systems were built for the participation of women, and the legal empowerment of women and girls was promoted through tools for them to learn about and exercise their rights. 

Activities included: community education through radio broadcasts on laws and inequalities; training of a network of 18 community paralegals (who will in turn train 100 more women each); and the creation of a forum for members of the committee of court users. This forum led to concrete commitments from authority figures to ensure that justice may begin to benefit all members of the community.