Speakers

Women leadership in Garissa County never goes without mentioning Fatuma Kinsi Abass.

Fatuma Kinsi is the Founder and Executive Director of Pastoralist Girls Initiative (PGI), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) working in touching and changing life among Somali girls and women living in the Garissa county of Kenya.  From her first public role as girls' youth representative, she has committed herself to working for the wellness, economic and social empowerment of all the women of her community. She has remained focussed in her dream to see rural women and girls attain full empowerment in modern governance in all levels of development.

Coming from a nomadic environment in ASAL Kenya, as the head of PGI she has been able to respond in several cyclic Humanitarian crises in the region of droughts and Floods that happens inter changing year in year. She is a central pillar as a person and representative of her organisation in the ASAL – Humanitarian Network, a network bringing together more than 30 Local NGOs from the ASAL region committed to addressing the humanitarian challenges in the region while working closely with INGOs to ensure the localisation agenda is achieved. Some of the INGO supporting Localisation agenda and partnering with are OXFAM, IRC and WHH.

Since 2001, under her leadership she has organised empowering session for Somali girls and women to become visible, confront and stop violence against women and girls, and challenge traditions that relegate them at the periphery of their communities. In challenging some of the traditions, she has had to deal with rejection. She was disowned by her clan members after expressing interest for the Garissa woman representative position in the 2017 general election. This did not dampen her spirit, she went ahead and contested something that even men dare not go against such decisions. She ran for the position and come in second.

Despite the unfair treatment, Fatuma Kinsi an ardent supporter of girls' and women issues, has largely continued working with her remote local community.  She has mobilized and organised women in Garissa to access and take active part in local decision-making structures, facilitating their political exchange with traditional and local leaders, as well as the intergenerational exchange with the girls reached through PGI’s work in schools.

In her pursuit, she has supported girls in building their confidence and self-esteem, empowering them to participate fully in the decision making processes. Fatuma Kinsi continues to be a key player in advancing girls related programs within the pastoralist communities. she made significant strides in the advocating for the girl child education, fighting for and upholding on the rights of women and children specially victims of FGM, GBV through extensively mentorship programs for girls in secondary schools.

In continuing with her vision and keeping the fire burning while passing the baton to younger generation, she has encouraged young girls to tale the leadership and supported in forming a girl’s led movement (Girls for Girls Kenya) that she is nurturing to continue championing for girls right. Through networking with like mined institutions.  Fatuma was able to put a smile to many girls during the COVID – 19 lockdown period by supplying dignity kit to vulnerable pastoralist girls.

She believes in the potential of women and girls throughout the world to realize and enjoy the benefits of gender equality and a firm advocate of the UN Sustainable Development. Fatuma has recently been appointed as a member in the panel of experts on compensation of victims of demonstration and public protest by the president of Kenya HE William Ruto.