Women for Influence

Marianne Stagetorn Kolos (Chairman of WFI) and Eunice Oyugi. Photo: Tine Harden

Women for Influence (WFI) is a group of influential women from Danish business life that have put their time, resources and network in a common effort to support strong women in Africa. Through different fundraising activities Women for Influence act on their solidarity, giving sisters across continents influence and rights in their own lives.

Supporting women in Kenya                                                                                      From 2011 till 2013 Women for Influence empowers Kenyan women socially and economically to charge leadership in their own lives and in their communities. With ActionAid Kenya and local partners Women for Influence support two linked projects: 

1) Women as decision makers

• We give 100 female political candidates tools and knowledge to affect and lead democratic decision making processes
• We mobilize the local community to support women as leaders and decision makers
• We realize an equal political representation of women in three counties in Kenya
• We influence and commit political parties on equal gender representation

2) Young women’s leadership

• We educate 400 young women in the country side in Kenya in leadership and entrepreneurship
• We support them to take active part in important local desicion processes
• We establish mentorship systems for young women
• We ensure young women’s right to a sustainable future 

The two projects take place in a context of a new constitution that gives historically new opportunities and legal rights for women in Kenya. Elections in 2012 are going to set the team of decision makers in Kenya that will take this constitution to its realization. Women for Influence want to ensure women take up the opportunity given to them.

If you want to know more about Women for Influence you can DOWNLOAD the folder or contact project manager in ActionAid Denmark: Susanne Krogh Petersen spe@ms.dk