In the early weeks of 2024, a wave of outrage swept across Kenya. Thousands of people took to the streets in an unprecedented nationwide anti-femicide march. 14 women had been murdered in January alone. Data shows that between 2016-2024 in Kenya, over 930 women were killed, with more cases likely unreported. But beyond the anguish was a deeper call: for justice, for safety, and for change.
While the surge in femicide cases captured national headlines, a quieter, ongoing violence remains overlooked: the systemic denial of women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), including menstrual health. Issues like a lack of access to affordable, safe menstrual products; adequate sanitation facilities; the freedom to manage menstruation without shame or harm; and the stigmatisation of menopause are not just health concerns, but reflections of entrenched gender inequality.
In this urgent context, Feminists in Kenya, a national social movement of feminist and LGBTIQ activists, are at the forefront of building a feminist movement that amplifies the SRHR issues facing women, girls, and the LGBTIQ community. Highlighting the issue of period poverty and menstrual stigma, they are implementing the Haki ya Uzazi Sasa! (Reproductive Justice Now!) project. The project draws on feminist principles and community wisdom to challenge discrimination, ignite dialogue, and reimagine care across a woman’s reproductive life.
A Movement Born of Silence and Strength
For decades, menstruation and menopause have existed in the shadows of Kenya’s public health narrative. Menstruating girls are too often shamed and denied access to basic menstrual health products, or forced into transactional sex just to afford them. Menopausal women, on the other hand, are routinely ignored or rendered invisible, their symptoms medicalised or dismissed altogether.
Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) is often unavailable both in schools and at home, with no clear pathways for young people to gain knowledge on SRHR. And despite growing awareness of menstruation and menopause, there remains a critical shortage of health experts trained in these topics at the community level. There remains much work to be done towards debunking and demystifying menstruation and menopause.
The Haki ya Uzazi Sasa! project sets out to champion menstruation and menopause as crucial parts of the life journey. Using a community-based participatory approach, the project creates safe, intergenerational spaces for women and girls from all backgrounds to come together, share their experiences, and build collective knowledge.
From Solidarity to Action
At the heart of the project is connection and convening. In Kisumu and Kilifi counties, Feminists in Kenya hosted two-day SRHR summits that brought together women across age, occupation, and background.
Initially, both women and girls were afraid of sharing openly about menstruation and menopause, as society for decades stigmatised them. But with support from the project facilitators, hesitation gave way to bold conversation. Girls learned that menstruation was not a curse but a natural part of life. Older women found relief in discovering they weren’t alone in their menopausal struggles. Many participants said they would pass on what they had learned to their communities, contributing to breaking down stigma.
Using intergenerational dialogues, the Haki ya Uzazi Sasa! project reinforces the importance of resilience and solidarity across backgrounds and life experience. For example, in Kilifi County, older sex workers, many of whom were experiencing menopause, spoke openly about confronting societal judgment, navigating changing bodies, and reclaiming their pleasure and autonomy. They helped younger women understand what lay ahead, breaking cycles of fear and ignorance. They also held workshops on safeguarding, financial planning, and health protection for young sex workers, providing practical knowledge alongside social support.
But the project didn’t stop at conversation. In Kisumu, the Feminists in Kenya team launched two care banks, community-driven initiatives that provide free menstrual products to girls and women from low-income households and diapers for teenage mothers.
Building safe, collaborative spaces strengthens a feminist community that prioritises care and joy while advancing SRHR. It is clear that a strong community is essential for combating stigma around menstruation and menopause, resisting ageism, and ensuring the safety of women.
A Vision for the Future
In the months ahead, Feminists in Kenya through the Haki ya Uzazi Sasa! project plan to:
- Host the first-ever SRHR Festival in Nairobi, centring the voices of women so often left behind, especially older women.
- Organize a side event on menopause at the upcoming RHNK Conference, placing menopause on the national policy agenda.
Beyond the project, Feminism in Kenya aim to:
- Host monthly, peer-led support and self-care groups for both menstruating and menopausal women.
- Advocate for workplace policies that support menstruation and menopause, pushing for environments where no woman has to hide.
At its core, the theory of change behind Haki ya Uzazi Sasa! is simple: when women and girls have the knowledge to advocate for their own bodies, everything changes.
Menstruation and menopause are a key to women’s health, dignity, and safety. By normalising conversations and creating systems of support, we lay the groundwork for deeper, lasting change, working towards a #PeriodFriendlyWorld without shame or stigma.
