Dialogue Meeting with the County Health Management Team (CHMT)

Safe abortion access and information is always construed to be for cis-heterosexual women and girls, leaving Lesbian, Bisexual. Queer and Transgender (LBQT) folks out of the discourse. People who may need access to safe abortion services are not only cis-women; Trans-men, gender queer and gender-non-conforming persons, as well as others of diverse gender identity who do not identify as womxn, can and do get pregnant. The implementing team (3W and Trans Support CBO) had a dialogue meeting with the CHMT which is the health policy making body in Kisumu County, to introduce the project thereby creating awareness and knowledge of safe abortion access needs by sexual and gender minority persons.

Individuals of diverse gender identity, face extensive challenges in accessing safe abortion information and services, a result not only of the stigma surrounding abortion itself, but additional barriers they face in realizing their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR)

The meeting sort to deliberate on how the implementing team can maneuver around the project since abortion in Kenya is restricted under the penal code, laws of Kenya. Involvement of CHMT is key in validating the project for an enabling and supportive environment throughout the project implementation.