Design Phase (6 months)

The Tupo. Tusikizwe project is empowering marginalised women and girls including those with disabilities, to participate in the County Budget process in Kwale County. This is done by enhancing their voices to demand the uptake of their priority needs and equitable distribution of resources (also called Gender Responsive budgeting) during the planning and budget-making processes.  In the design phase, the project is piloted in five villages from Matuga sub-county and scaled up at the implementation phase to 10 villages in Msambweni and Lungalunga sub-counties in Kwale County.

The objectives are:

• To enhance understanding of the normative budgeting framework at the county level.
• To enhance understanding of gender-responsive budgeting and utilisation of gender-responsive budgeting principles.
• To enhance the capacity of women and girls to analyse the Kwale County budget estimates against their needs.
• To recommend actions to enhance the response to Gender Based Violence and economic empowerment of adolescent girls and young women.
• To enhance the capacity of girls and women to lobby for the uptake of their priorities

Implementation Phase (18 months)

The project aims to promote greater creation of more open political participation and civic engagement by Women facing exploitation, abuse and/or violence. The project will empower women facing exploitation, abuse and/or violence to self – advocate and inform evidence based research and policy recommendations to be generated by the project. The evidence based research and policy recommendations will be utilised to influence and catalyse the creation of and access to more open, political spaces, processes and participation by the aforementioned rights holders.  In addition, the project will also enhance responsiveness to Gender Based Violence (GBV) and economic empowerment of adolescent girls and young women.

Lessons learnt and innovations from the design phase have informed the development of the Implementation phase. The project will be implemented in Kwale County, in Kenya.

Amplifying Voices for Inclusive Budgeting in Kenya

In many communities, budgetary processes remain inaccessible to those who need public services the most. Women, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and youth are often left out of crucial financial decision-making, resulting in policies and resource allocation that fail to meet their needs. The Tupo Tusikizwe project, led by the Coalition on Violence Against Women (COVAW), set out to change this by equipping rightsholders with the knowledge and confidence to engage in county budgeting processes. Through targeted advocacy, community mobilization, and capacity building, the project successfully influenced county-level policy and budgeting decisions, ensuring that gender-responsive priorities were adopted into Kwale County’s development agenda.

A major success of the initiative was the adoption of 32 community-driven proposals into the county budget for 2022/2023. These included the construction of Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) centers, renovations of health facilities, and increased funding for women, youth, and PWD initiatives. Thanks to sustained advocacy efforts, county administrators have now institutionalized pre-budget public participation forums at the village level, ensuring that marginalized voices are heard in planning processes. Additionally, the formation of a Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB) Technical Working Group has created a strong platform for ongoing advocacy, allowing community representatives to engage county leadership on issues of gender equity in resource allocation.

Beyond policy influence, the project also played a crucial role in changing mindsets and building agency among rightsholders. Women and PWDs, previously excluded from public participation, are now actively engaging in forums, with a 35% increase in representation recorded. The County Budgeting and Economic Forum (CBEF) has taken deliberate steps to ensure that women and PWDs are given speaking opportunities, breaking cultural barriers that have traditionally silenced them. Through radio campaigns, social media advocacy, and local dialogue sessions, over 2.4 million people were reached with messages on governance, civic rights, and budget accountability, increasing public awareness and participation.

Lessons Learned

One of the most significant lessons from Tupo Tusikizwe is that empowering communities to lead their own advocacy efforts fosters lasting change. When rightsholders are not just participants but active champions of policy change, they are more likely to hold leaders accountable beyond the project’s lifespan. The approach of working with community budget champions and training women-led Disabled Persons Organizations (DPOs) ensured that advocacy efforts continued even after the formal project period ended.

Additionally, strategic partnerships and multi-sectoral engagement proved essential for sustaining impact. By collaborating with county administrators, civil society networks, and policymakers, the project was able to gain credibility and influence systemic change. Linking grassroots advocacy with national and county-level decision-makersprovided the leverage needed to translate community demands into tangible policy commitments.

However, navigating entrenched social norms remains a challenge. While progress was made in increasing women’s participation in governance, resistance from certain cultural and political actors persisted. The project learned that consistent engagement and relationship-building with local leaders is key to overcoming these barriers. By integrating gender-responsive budgeting into county planning structures and ensuring ongoing civic education, the groundwork has been laid for more inclusive and equitable resource allocation in the years to come.

The success of Tupo Tusikizwe underscores the power of community-driven accountability and advocacy. By amplifying marginalized voices and institutionalizing participatory budgeting, the project has created a lasting impact on governance structures in Kwale County. As the movement for gender-responsive budgeting continues, these lessons will serve as a blueprint for ensuring that all citizens, regardless of gender or ability, have a say in shaping their futures.