Supportive Policy, Legal and Institutional Frameworks
Defenders Coalition aims to lead and collaborate in shaping policies, laws, institutions, and cultural norms that impact the safety and well-being of HRDs. Our strategy focuses on achieving a favorable legal and policy environment for HRDs in Kenya by coordinating and aligning advocacy efforts with our partners.
We also advocate for specific HRD cases identified by the Protection Department, addressing needs that go beyond immediate protection. The program approach includes:
Defenders Coalition advocates for a conducive operating environment for HRDs and their work. The Defenders Coalition concerts efforts in facilitating collaboration among HRDs, CSOs and state bodies towards the formulation and enforcement of appropriate laws, policies and institutional frameworks that support the safety, security and well-being of HRDs and their work.
Further, the Defenders Coalition builds and strengthens county-based networks of HRDs and connects them to the national level advocacy networks to identify administrative, policy, legal and cultural barriers affecting their work and facilitate collaboration.
The Defenders Coalition strengthens and builds synergies among individuals, groups, and networks working to advocate for different rights has enhanced linkages among various struggles and built momentum for movement building to address injustice and systemic barriers as collectives.
Defenders Coalition and HRD networks regularly monitors and document human rights trends trends on HRDs working environment and shares data with national and global level and non-state partners at the African Commission for Human and Peoples Rights, and the United Nations Human Rghts Council’s to build awareness and recommendations for enhancing the respect, promotion and protection of human rights by member states.
The Defenders Coalition documents and generates information on human rights defenders. Further, it mainstreams the work of HRDs and drives positive narratives on the existence and impact of HRDs. Among others, the Defenders Coalition employs traditional and new media strategies to increase the visibility of HRDs and their work.
