The Maendeleo Ya Wanawake Organization (MWYO), in its strengths, depicts the exact meaning of the term Maendeleo, which is development.
The organization, whose key role is to help develop and empower women in the country, majoring on women in the grass-root level, while welcoming the urban woman, continues to welcome women to register at a minimum of 100 shillings or a lifetime registration fee of 1000 shillings.
The Maendeleo Ya Wanawake Organization is widely recognized for its strong capacity to mobilize, lobby and advocate for women and their rights in the community and society at large.
For the 7 decades that Maendeleo Ya Wanawake has triumphed, it has been the preferred “go to” grass root women organization by the government, donor agencies, civil society, and political parties.
Maendeleo Ya Wanawake has been a key platform of dissemination and moving forward women’s empowerment agenda and remains a resource for any entity seeking to drive the women’s agenda in Kenya.
Despite the MYWO Kenya experiencing challenges, it has served in its capacity to empower the grassroots women.
At the local devolved units and at the national levels, Maendeleo leaders are regarded as community opinion shapers / Community Owned Resource Persons (CORPs) who are consulted on key decisions and important matters touching on social public policy among others.
Maendeleo Ya Wanawake leaders sit in various National and Devolved Development Committees / Boards, for example, National Aids Control Council (NACC), National Anti-Corruption Campaign Steering Committee (NACCSC) National Council for Population and Development (NCPD), Water Boards, NG-CDF, Nyumba Kumi, Peace and Security Committees among others.
MYWO representation in the various committees and the board has ensured that the interests of women are fully represented and secured.
In pursuant to an existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with National Anti-Corruption Campaign Steering Committee (NACCSC) signed in March 2015 MYWO has trained 347 elected leaders drawn from all the 47 counties on the role of women in the fight against corruption.
These women now carry anti-corruption messages to their members. About 35 MYWO county chairs are members of County Anti-Corruption Oversight Committees (CACCOs).
Over its seven-decade history, Maendeleo Ya Wanawake’s programmatic foci have revolved around women’s economic empowerment like training women on bakery, cookery, needlework, kitchen gardening, table banking, formation of women Sacco’s and value addition.
Maendeleo Ya Wanawake has continually promoted maternal-child health; nutrition; home hygiene, eradication of harmful cultural practices like female circumcision, early marriages, wife inheritance; combating HIV/AIDS; Peacebuilding and cohesion.
In the wake of the infamous 2007 / 2008 Post- Elections Violence (PEV) in Kenya the Maendeleo Ya Wanawake Organization was instrumental in facilitating community processes that foster healing, reconciliation, cohesion, and peace-building.
Maendeleo Ya Wanawake, in the 2017/2018 general elections, conducted an elaborate advocacy programme across the country on political participation of women.
Maendeleo Ya Wanawake women officials led by example and vied in 2017/2018 elections in various levels and won eight elective posts with 1 Governor, 1 Senator, 4 MPs, and 2 MCAs.
Maendeleo Ya Wanawake also got 49 nominated MCA posts in 23 counties in the Country.
The Maendeleo Ya Wanawake Organization has further appreciated more appointments of women by the President to various ministries.
Appointments done by the President to state agencies and missions abroad include six Cabinet Secretaries, three CAS, seven Permanent Secretaries, and two Ambassadors.
Maendeleo Ya Wanawake also takes pride in having some of their members and leaders appointed in the County Executive Committee’s at Counties.
Maendeleo Ya Wanawake Organization takes the duty of implementing HIV /AIDS programmes keenly and has taken the forefront position in sensitizing women on population issues for National Development.
Read Also: Maendeleo ya Wanawake Organization: 7 Decades of Empowering the Kenyan Woman