As the 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) unfolds at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 9 to 19 March 2026, the global spotlight is firmly on one of the most pressing priorities of our time: ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls. This year’s priority theme calls for inclusive and equitable legal systems, the elimination of discriminatory laws, policies, and practices, and the dismantling of structural barriers that keep women and girls from claiming their rights.
While world leaders, policymakers, and activists gather in the grand halls of the UN, a powerful voice from the ground is making sure the realities of Kenya’s informal settlements are not left behind. Jane Anyango, founder and director of Polycom Girls (also known as the Polycom Development Project), is in New York representing the dreams, struggles, and resilience of thousands of women and girls living in places like Kibera — Nairobi’s largest informal settlement and one of the biggest slums in sub-Saharan Africa.
Jane Anyango has travelled to CSW70 with a clear mission: to put the faces and stories of women and girls from informal settlements at the centre of global conversations on justice. “I am here not just for myself,” she says, “but to speak for every girl in Kibera who has been denied education because of early pregnancy, every woman who has been silenced by violence, and every family fighting for basic dignity like clean sanitation and safe spaces.” Her presence at CSW70 is a powerful reminder that true gender equality must include the voices of those living at the margins.
Polycom Girls: From Kibera’s Streets to Global Advocacy
Founded by Jane Anyango in 2004, Polycom Girls began as a direct response to the alarming levels of sexual violence and exploitation faced by young girls in Kibera. What started as a small initiative teaching girls to “love themselves” (embodied in their powerful G-PENDE philosophy) has grown into a Pan-African feminist, women-led organisation that now reaches thousands of girls and women across Nairobi, Homa Bay, and beyond.
Through mentorship programmes in schools and community groups, Polycom Girls equips adolescent girls with life skills, sexual and reproductive health education, leadership training, and critical thinking tools. They run sports programmes, sanitation projects, and advocacy campaigns that challenge harmful cultural practices. The organisation’s work directly tackles the very issues at the heart of CSW70’s themes: gender-based violence, barriers to education, lack of access to justice, and exclusion from decision-making.
For girls in informal settlements, “justice” is not an abstract concept — it means being able to walk home safely at night, having a toilet that isn’t a health hazard, finishing school instead of being married off, and seeing perpetrators of violence held accountable. Polycom Girls has been turning these daily struggles into collective action for over two decades.
Why Jane Anyango’s Voice Matters at CSW70
Jane Anyango is more than an activist — she is a living embodiment of the change she wants to see. A grassroots woman leader who still lives and works in Kibera, she brings authenticity that high-level panels often lack. At CSW70, she is ensuring that the review theme — women’s full and effective participation in public life and the elimination of violence — is not just discussed in theory but illustrated through real-life examples from Kenya’s slums.
Her participation connects the dots between global policy and local reality. When delegates talk about “eliminating discriminatory laws,” Jane can share stories of girls denied justice after sexual assault because of weak implementation of Kenya’s Sexual Offences Act in informal settlements. When conversations turn to “inclusive legal systems,” she highlights how Polycom Girls trains girls to understand their rights and report violations — something many organisations only dream of doing at scale.
By representing Polycom Girls at this historic session, Jane is bridging the gap between the UN’s lofty goals and the lived experiences of women and girls who are often invisible in global forums. Her presence sends a strong message: the girls from Kibera are not just beneficiaries — they are leaders, experts, and change-makers whose voices must shape the outcomes of CSW70.
A Call to Action: From New York Back to the Settlements
CSW70 is more than a two-week event in New York. For organisations like Polycom Girls, it is a platform to demand accountability, secure partnerships, and bring resources back home. Jane Anyango’s attendance is already sparking new conversations about supporting community-led organisations that work directly with girls in informal settlements.
As the session continues, the world is watching. Will governments commit to real funding for grassroots women’s organisations? Will legal reforms actually reach the slums? Will girls like those mentored by Polycom Girls see their lives transformed because of decisions made this week?
Jane Anyango and the Polycom Girls team are there to make sure the answer is YES.
If you believe in justice that leaves no woman or girl behind — especially those in informal settlements — now is the time to stand with them. Follow Polycom Girls’ journey at CSW70, support their work in Kibera and beyond, and amplify the message that grassroots voices must be at the centre of every global conversation on gender equality.
Because when women and girls from the settlements speak, the whole world should listen.