Federation of Women Lawyers in Kenya (FIDA-Kenya)

What Federation of Women Lawyers in Kenya (FIDA-Kenya) does

Federation of Women Lawyers in Kenya (FIDA-Kenya) is a non-profit membership organization of women advocates and lawyers founded in 1985 and headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya. It provides free legal aid, psychosocial support, mediation, and court representation services to women and girls across Kenya, with a particular focus on survivors of gender-based violence, women in prisons, and victims of electoral-related sexual and gender-based violence (ESGBV). The organization operates through a network of offices, community-based legal aid clinics, and Virtual Justice Centres established inside six women's prisons (Nyeri, Kisii, Thika, Langata, Kodiaga, Shimo la Tewa) that enable remote court participation for incarcerated women. A nationwide toll-free helpline (0800 720 501), launched in April 2020, and an ESGBV monitoring system staffed by 100 monitors across all 47 counties, form the operational backbone of its service delivery. The organization has served over 3 million women cumulatively, with 10,505 clients served in 2024 alone, and operates a portfolio of programs including self-representation training, women in political participation support (the Vote A Dada initiative), publications, and policy advocacy that has contributed to the development of Kenya's Matrimonial Property Act, Marriage Act, and proposed Criminal Law Reform safeguards.

FIDA-Kenya's business model is hybrid: it generates modest recurring revenue through tiered membership subscriptions from its 1,400+ women advocates and lawyers (ranging from KES 750 entry fee and KES 1,000 annual subscription for law students to KES 2,500 entry fee and KES 4,500 annual subscription for advocates of 11+ years), but the bulk of operating funding comes from international development partners — Embassy of Sweden, DANIDA, UNDP, Diakonia — through program-specific grants. Services to beneficiaries are delivered free of charge. The organization is governed by a member-elected board led by a Chairperson (Christine Kungu, as of 2024) and operated by an Executive Director (Anne W. Ireri) and Deputy Executive Director (Diana Watila), with a secretariat of approximately 80 employees. Strategic litigation, coalition advocacy (Police Reforms Working Group, 38-CSO coalition), and direct engagement with the Judiciary and Parliament (including Chief Justice Martha Koome's July 2026 endorsement) form the institutional leverage layer of the model.

Name

Federation of Women Lawyers in Kenya (FIDA-Kenya)

Legal name

Federation of Women Lawyers in Kenya

Website

https://fidakenya.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

FIDA-Kenya is a Nairobi-based non-profit membership organization of 1,400+ women lawyers founded in 1985 that provides free legal aid, psychosocial support, and Virtual Justice Centres to women and girls across Kenya, particularly survivors of gender-based violence and women in prisons.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Nairobi

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership subscriptions from women advocates and lawyers in Kenya, with tiered pricing based on years of experience (Categories A-D)
2. Development Partner Funding: Funding from international development partners including Embassy of Sweden, DANIDA, and Diakonia for specific programs and initiatives
3. Free Legal Aid Services: Pro bono legal services provided to women and girls; services are free to clients

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

FIDA-Kenya is a membership-based non-profit organization of women advocates and lawyers providing free legal aid, psychosocial support, court representation, and self-representation training to women and girls in Kenya. It also operates Virtual Justice Centres in women's prisons, an ESGBV monitoring system, a nationwide toll-free helpline, and conducts policy advocacy for gender-responsive legislation.

Product overview

FIDA-Kenya offers a comprehensive suite of women's rights and access to justice services. The core offerings include free legal aid services, psychosocial support, and Virtual Justice Centres that enable women to access courts through technology-enabled facilities. The organization operates an ESGBV Monitoring Center with an online portal, provides self-representation training, and conducts community outreach programs. Additional services include women's leadership and political participation programs (Vote A Dada initiative), legal clinics, publications and reports, and membership services for women lawyers. The organization serves clients through offices in Nairobi and regional locations, with Virtual Justice Centres established in multiple women's prisons.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Legal Aid Services Free legal aid services provided to women and girls in Kenya, including pro bono representation, case handling, and court representation in matters related to gender-based violence, family law, and women's rights.
• Psychosocial Support Services Counseling, group therapy sessions, and emotional support for survivors of gender-based violence, provided alongside legal aid services.
• Virtual Justice Centres Technology-enabled access to justice facilities established in FIDA-Kenya offices and women's prisons, enabling virtual court sessions, mediation, and counseling for women inmates and clients.
• Toll-Free Helpline (0800 720 501) Nationwide toll-free number providing legal aid and psychosocial support to GBV survivors and women across Kenya.
• ESGBV Monitoring System Real-time data collection and monthly reporting on electoral-related sexual and gender-based violence cases submitted by 100 county monitors through a secure reporting portal.
• Self-Representation Training Training program for women to understand court processes and represent themselves in legal proceedings.
• Women Leadership Programs (Vote A Dada) Political leadership training including the Vote A Dada initiative and media strategy training for female political aspirants in Kenya.
• Legal Aid Clinics Community outreach legal aid clinics providing direct legal assistance to women and girls across different regions in Kenya.
• Membership Services Membership registration and management for women advocates and lawyers, with categories based on years of practice (Category A-D) and law students; includes professional development, networking, and advocacy opportunities.
• Publications and Reports Annual reports, newsletters (AWESOME), policy gap reports, and research publications on women's rights issues including GBV, femicide, women's political participation, and reproductive rights.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 3,000,000 women served with free legal aid over 37 years
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ISLAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 May 2025Admitted as joint amici curiae with FIDA-Kenya in Employment and Labour Relations Court case on human trafficking for labour exploitation of Kenyan domestic workers in the Middle East. Represented by FLN alumni Carolene Kituku and Philly Janet Anyango.
• URAIAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner receiving DANIDA funding and collaborating on Virtual Justice Centre initiatives.
• Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided lead advocate and technical support in the landmark public interest litigation case on access to safe abortion (JMM case). Collaborated on Court of Appeal case No. 594 of 2019 challenging restrictions on safe abortion.
• Women's Link WorldwideminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipated as Amicus Curiae in the JMM case challenging the government's withdrawal of abortion guidelines.
• East Africa Center for Law & JusticeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-petitioner in the 2019 case challenging government withdrawal of abortion standards and guidelines, representing interests of women and girls.
• Feminist Litigation Network (FLN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork supporting feminist strategic litigation in Africa. Alumni Carolene Kituku and Philly Janet Anyango represented ISLA and FIDA-Kenya as joint amici curiae. FLN is dedicated to building African feminist litigators.
• KELIN (Kenya Legal and Ethical Issues Network on HIV/AIDS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint press statement with FIDA-Kenya urging Ministry of Health to adopt rights-based approach during transition from NHIF to SHIF.
• Police Reforms Working GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance of 21+ national and grassroots organizations committed to professional, accountable, and human rights-compliant policing. FIDA-Kenya is a member alongside organizations including IMLU, KHRC, Amnesty International Kenya, and Transparency International Kenya.
• Bavarian ParliamentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBavarian Parliament delegation visited FIDA-Kenya to discuss access to justice for women and girls.
• Judiciary of KenyacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChief Justice Martha Koome commended FIDA-Kenya and backed expanded partnership on justice reforms. FIDA-Kenya collaborates with the Judiciary on Virtual Justice Centres, Alternative Justice Systems, and justice sector reforms.
• 38 Civil Society Organizations (Coalition Statement)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFIDA-Kenya is part of a coalition of 38 organizations including Amnesty International Kenya, Article 19 Eastern Africa, Human Rights Watch, ICJ Kenya, and others defending civil society space and human rights in Kenya.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Equality Now: Global women's rights advocacy organization that uses strategic litigation, legal advocacy, and coalition-building to advance gender equality—closely comparable to FIDA-Kenya's combination of legal aid and systemic advocacy.
• Center for Reproductive Rights: International reproductive rights legal advocacy organization that partnered with FIDA-Kenya on the JMM abortion case; uses strategic litigation to defend women's rights, matching FIDA-Kenya's amicus and litigation model.
• CREA: Global feminist organization focused on sexual and reproductive health rights, gender-based violence, and feminist movement-building; comparable to FIDA-Kenya in combining legal advocacy, capacity building, and rights-based programming in the Global South.
• Women's Link Worldwide: International organization using strategic litigation to advance gender equality; participated with FIDA-Kenya in the JMM case as amicus curiae—directly comparable legal-advocacy model.
• FIDA Uganda: Sister chapter of the International Federation of Women Lawyers in Uganda—a direct peer offering legal aid, mediation, and women's rights advocacy through a national membership of women lawyers, with a near-identical operating model to FIDA-Kenya.
• FIDA International (International Federation of Women Lawyers): Umbrella body of national FIDA chapters; FIDA-Kenya is a member. Highly comparable as the parent federation of women lawyers' associations with shared mandate and member structure.
• KELIN (Kenya Legal and Ethical Issues Network on HIV/AIDS): Kenyan legal advocacy NGO that has co-published statements with FIDA-Kenya on health and rights issues; comparable as a domestic legal-advocacy NGO working on rights-based policy reform.
• Coalition on Violence Against Women (COVAW) Kenya: Kenyan women's rights organization focused on GBV prevention and response; directly comparable to FIDA-Kenya in mandate, geography, and beneficiary population.

Broad incumbents

• Amnesty International Kenya: Kenyan arm of a global human rights organization co-active in civil society coalitions with FIDA-Kenya (e.g., Police Reforms Working Group, 38-organization coalition); comparable but operates across a broader human-rights portfolio rather than women-only focus.

Regional players

• Legal Resources Foundation (LRF) Kenya: Kenyan organization providing legal aid, public legal education, and justice-sector reform support—comparable in legal-aid delivery model but with a broader (not gender-specific) beneficiary focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fidakenya

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Federation of Women Lawyers in Kenya (FIDA-Kenya)