Youth Alive! Kenya (YAK) recently played a pivotal role in supporting the impactful Girl Up Summit, held on 25–26 July 2024. The event convened a diverse group of young women, activists, government officials, and community stakeholders to confront pressing issues facing girls and women today. The summit addressed critical topics including unpaid care and domestic work (UCDW), menstrual health, and gender-based violence (GBV), fostering dialogue and mobilizing action.

Under the resounding social media banners of #Unlimited-GirlsLead and #GirlsLead, the Summit successfully amplified awareness and galvanized participants around these multifaceted challenges.

Discussions on menstrual health brought to the forefront the significant barriers young girls encounter, particularly the alarming lack of access to sanitary products. This deficiency, participants emphasized, directly hinders their educational attainment, limits their participation in governance, and restricts their engagement in income-generating activities. A unified call emerged from the Summit for the immediate removal of taxes on menstrual products, a push for comprehensive menstrual health education, and a commitment to ensuring inclusivity for marginalized groups, especially persons with disabilities.

Care work also commanded significant attention, with conversations delving into the often-undervalued economic contributions of UCDW and the unique challenges, including period poverty, faced by care workers. Attendees advocated for robust policy reforms designed to support care workers, proposing the establishment of accessible day care centers, the implementation of mentorship programs, and the urgent ratification of ILO Convention 189 concerning decent work for domestic workers.

Furthermore, the Summit squarely addressed GBV, empowering young leaders to become formidable advocates for stronger legislative frameworks and to spearhead youth-led initiatives aimed at preventing violence. These in-depth discussions reportedly spurred a notable shift in attitudes among many participants, with numerous individuals committing to localized advocacy efforts in their communities. The event’s reach extended far beyond the summit halls, garnering substantial traction on social media and reaching an estimated 12 million people.