Rapid Scoping Review 2025: Kenya

Kenya’s socio-political environment presents significant challenges for women’s rights and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and more (LGBTQI+) rights. Conservative social attitudes – deeply influenced by religious beliefs, political leaders, and traditional norms – exacerbate these challenges. There have also been efforts to uphold traditional gender norms and hierarchical structures, including restricting access to sexual and reproductive health services. Economic factors, such as funding constraints, further impact the ability of organisations to sustain advocacy and support efforts for women’s rights and LGBTQI+ rights. For this brief, a total of eight organisations, individuals, and smaller groups were analysed, offering a well-rounded perspective on efforts to counter rollback. It explores the context of rollback, the landscape of anti-rollback actors, counter-rollback strategies, and gaps and areas for future research and work.