April 9, 2014, Nairobi – U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Kenya Mission Director Karen Freeman joined development partners, the Ford Foundation, Independent Television Service, and CARE International to launch Women in the Red, a media campaign designed to raise the profile of Kenyan women as leaders.  In collaboration with , the Women in the Red campaign will engage audiences and promote activities that encourage leadership development, violence prevention, and economic empowerment.

Women in the Red is part of a larger Women and Girls Lead Global campaign that uses social media and documentaries to promote gender equality.  The campaign just concluded the first season of a 10-episode documentary film series on the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC).

Kenyan women are historically underrepresented in Kenya’s leadership despite the fact that they comprise over half the population.  According to the last Kenya Census, women make up 52 percent of the Kenyan population and only 21 percent of the National Assembly.  Women in the Red promotes more women in Kenya’s political leadership, where all key decisions about Kenya’s future are made.

“Kenya’s Constitution provides for improved gender balance in government, setting the stage for women to play a critical and unprecedented role in shaping their communities.  Women in the Red will provide the inspiration, the conversation, and the connections to encourage women to seize this historic opportunity,” said USAID/Kenya Mission Director Karen Freeman.
 
USAID is the U.S. Government agency responsible for administering civilian foreign assistance.