Women-led and women’s rights organizations across Kenya’s arid and semi-arid lands are at the forefront of redefining humanitarian leadership. Through the Supporting and Community-Led Response (sclr) approach, members of the ASAL Humanitarian Network (AHN) are championing local leadership, deepening community ownership, and reshaping how humanitarian response and recovery are designed and delivered.

Across counties, these organizations have supported hundreds of grassroots groups and reached over 100,000 people through initiatives focused on clean water access, food security, peacebuilding, gender-based violence prevention, education, and environmental conservation. Their work demonstrates that when communities lead, impact is not only immediate, it is sustainable.

On 26th Feb 2025, AHN sclr workshop convened women-led and women’s rights organizations to reflect on progress, share lessons, and strengthen collaboration. Discussions highlighted the need for flexible funding, county integration of community priorities, and greater male and youth engagement to sustain inclusive leadership. The workshop also reinforced AHN’s commitment to advancing localisation by bridging global commitments like the Grand Bargain and Charter4Change with local realities.

Through continued investment in women’s leadership and locally driven solutions, AHN and its members are demonstrating that localisation is not a slogan, it is a shift in power that begins and endures within communities.