About

The Rural Women Network (RWN) is a grassroots, women-led organization dedicated to empowering rural women and girls in Kenya by fostering economic resilience, climate adaptation, and gender equality. The organization started its activities in 2010 and was officially registered in 2011 to provide a platform that amplifies and gives visibility to grassroots women, including rural women smallholder agricultural producers, Indigenous women, widows, the elderly, and community health volunteers. Operating in marginalized and arid/semi-arid regions such as Kajiado, Narok, and Laikipia counties, RWN works to address systemic challenges like food insecurity, economic marginalization, and cultural barriers. By leveraging community-driven solutions, the network enhances women’s capacity to participate in decision-making, influence policies, and build sustainable livelihoods through climate-smart agriculture, cooperative societies, enterprise development, and advocacy.

RWN is committed to increasing productivity, enhancing livelihoods, promoting climate-smart agriculture, and strengthening food, nutrition, and economic security in the face of climate change. The organization also prioritizes caring for the most vulnerable members of the community. To achieve this, RWN has established Livelihood Learning Centres in Kajiado County, offering training in sustainable farming, beekeeping, beadwork, and financial literacy. Additionally, RWN plays a critical role in strengthening grassroots women’s groups through savings and credit initiatives, cooperative formation, and direct market access for agricultural and artisanal products. A key motivation behind RWN’s work is ensuring that grassroots women smallholder farmers actively participate in local, national, and global debates on food and agriculture, helping them understand and engage with global policy frameworks that impact their lives. Too often, rural grassroots women are left behind, and RWN strives to leave no woman behind by unleashing their full potential to participate effectively in sustainable development and decision-making.

It is not enough for rural women to simply sit at the decision-making table—they must also actively engage and influence discussions. RWN believes that true empowerment translates into reducing poverty, hunger, and malnutrition while halting environmental degradation, as outlined in the Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The organization aligns its work with SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 15 (Life on Land). These goals are also Pentagon Goals, driving the broader sustainable development agenda. Through strategic collaborations with local governments, national stakeholders, and international partners, RWN continues to amplify the voices of rural women, ensuring they play a central role in shaping climate action, economic justice, and policy advocacy. By challenging extractive economic models and reclaiming Indigenous knowledge systems, RWN is transforming rural economies and enabling women to thrive as equal contributors to Kenya’s sustainable development.

Rural Women Network (RWN) organization operates on the following key pillars:

1. Women’s Economic Empowerment – Enhancing livelihoods, financial literacy, savings and credit initiatives, cooperative societies, and direct market access for rural women smallholder farmers, Indigenous women, and women entrepreneurs.
2. Climate-Smart Agriculture & Food Systems – Promoting sustainable farming, agroecology, regenerative agriculture, and resilience-building to mitigate food insecurity and enhance rural livelihoods in the face of climate change.
3. Grassroots Leadership & Policy Advocacy – Strengthening the participation of grassroots women in local, national, and global policy debates on food security, climate action, gender equality, and sustainable development.
4. Gender Equality & Social Inclusion – Ensuring rural women, widows, Indigenous women, and elderly women are included in decision-making spaces while addressing cultural and economic barriers that hinder their development.
5. Climate Action & Environmental Sustainability – Advocating for climate justice, environmental conservation, and sustainable land management, aligning with SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 15 (Life on Land).
6. Community Health & Wellbeing – Supporting community health volunteers (CHVs), nutrition programs, and care for the most vulnerable, including elderly women and widows, to promote holistic community development.
7. Knowledge Sharing & Capacity Building – Establishing Livelihood Learning Centres to transfer skills, train women in sustainable income-generating activities, cooperative management, and resilience-building strategies.
8. Partnerships & Resource Mobilization – Collaborating with government agencies, international organizations, and grassroots networks to secure resources, expand reach, and scale impact.

These pillars collectively drive RWN’s vision of positioning rural women and girls as equal citizens in the economic, political, and social development of their communities while ensuring no woman is left behind.