WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT CENTRE,
KAWANGWARE
INTRODUCTION
Most women across the globe rely on the informal work sector
for an income.
JUSTIFICATION
Empowering women in developing countries is essential to
reduce global poverty.
Empowered women have a transformative role to play in
improving the lives of their children, households and society at
large.
While most governments in Africa acknowledge that
empowering women and girls is a key contributor to economic
development, the transition has been much slower than in
other regions of the world.
BACKGROUND
KENYA
In Kenya, weak job markets, gender inequality issues, lack of
education, insufficient technology, and limited skill capacity,
altogether undermine women’s abilities to engage in activities
that would promote and sustain their economic well-being.
Involvement in successful income-generating activities should
translate into greater control and empowerment of women in
Kenya.
This project will explore how architecture and design can
support the efforts towards poverty reduction in the developing
world through the empowerment of women.
Kawangware, Nairobi
WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT CENTRE,
KAWANGWARE
PROJECT CLIENTS GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
WOMEN'S EMPOWEMENT LINK (WEL)
The Center will make it possible to support the women in the
following ways:
A non-profit, nonpartisan, non-governmental women rights
organization. The organization seeks to empower women
-Provide a central location for economic empowerment training.
and girls to realize their full potential, worth and strength
politically, socially and economically through advocating for
-The Center will provide access to invaluable resources for women
their human and social justice rights.
to equip them with innovative skills .
THE VISION
-An inviting and safe space to accommodate local artisans who are
‘A just society where women and girls realize their rights’
THE MISSION participating in designing and sewing of clothes.
‘To advance women and girl’s social, economic and civic
rights’ -The Center will also support mothers by offering childcare
THE WORK facilities, allowing women with young children to access these
WEL has identified some purposeful thematic areas of opportunites while having their children taken care of in a safe and
operation that benefit our key stakeholder, who are women trusted environment.
and girls.
This organiazation is in partership with;
PROJECT JUSTIFICATION
The architecture for gender equality and
empowerment of women is under-resourced;
and there is inadequate institutional capacity for
oversight and accountability for system-wide
CONTEXT performance on gender equality and women’s
empowerment and low capacity for gender First Aid Classes...
KAWANGWARE, NAIROBI
mainstreaming.
Kawangware is an informal settlement in Kenya, 15km west
of the city centre of Nairobi. Kawangware Location of This design project seeks to employ architecture
Dagoretti constituency is one of the low-income residential and design as a tool that could improve the lives
areas where about 60 % of the people of Nairobi live. of women in by supporting and enhancing their
economic ventures.
The population is ethnically diverse. Most people there live
on less than Ksh. 100/= ($1 USD) a day. Among the 75% of
Nairobi's population that live in slum conditions, young The project is aimed at enhancing social
women continue to be the most severely affected by the economic empowerment of poor women
poverty, violence and systematic exclusion. dependent on the informal economy in Nairobi.
Beyond facing discrimination in health, education, nutrition
and labour, young women are burdened with most family The site is purposively situated for its strategic
and household management. ease of access to women from Dagoretti,
Kawangware, and Kibera areas and their environs.
Sewing Classes...
A 6TH YEAR DESIGN THESIS PROJECT KARIUKI CAROLINE WANGUI
YEAR 2015/2016 B02/0760/2010