I work as a consultant on governance and human rights, focusing on equality rights, constitutionalism, policy and legal reform. I undertake work at both a national and regional level, including gender analysis of policies and legislation, advising parliamentarians and other policy makers about gender gaps, advocating for gender responsive and women friendly policies and legislative reform, documenting human rights violations and developing gender mainstreaming frameworks for regional and international bodies such as the African Union. I don’t remember ever not being a feminist. I’m one of six daughters. Whilst my parents never discriminated against any of their children, we were privy to pejorative things said about my mother and us girls purely on the basis of our gender. When I was 11 years old I remember my mother telling me that a woman could be lucky and be born to a good man, she may be even luckier and marry a generous man, but every woman should have something of her own, something made from the sweat of her own hands. She also told me about her maternal grandmother who was an industrious woman and built her own house. Whilst it may not have been named as such, I had access to feminist literature and discourse from an early age. As a little girl I remember reading copies of my mother’s Ms magazines. In university I undertook women’s studies courses and consciously organised as a feminist with other feminist thinkers. I attribute my feminism to my mother, Mary Aherwa and to my father, Zakayo Mutsunga Chesoni who told me at an early age that I “could be anything I wanted”. They believed in girls and women and gave their daughters every single opportunity possible. Continuing that legacy, I am inspired by the possibility that my daughter (who hasn’t been born yet and may never be) may actually be a full citizen of my country. Unfortunately opportunities to dialogue and discourse with other feminists are still extremely limited. The corruption and ethnic chauvinism that hinders other progressive forms of political organising are also a challenge within the women’s movement. In Kenya, the women’s movement relates in an ambiguous manner to the concept of feminism, and there is still ignorance and stereotyping of what “feminists” and “feminism” are. This is partly due to the fact that few women have a chance to engage with feminist discourse outside of universities. In many parts of Africa there continues to be proscription of, and overt state violence against, women’s rights organisations and also organisations working in certain areas of women’s rights, for example lesbian rights. As we challenge inequality and discrimination in the world outside, we also need to challenge it in our own organising. We must continue to promote training and leadership opportunities for diverse women, acknowledge and interrogate prejudice within the women’s movement and advocating and encourage dialogue around intersectionality