Revisiting Beijing: Power, Progress, and the Promise of 2030 with Kagwiria Muturia - Special WTL Series (Ep. 12)

In this last episode of the special #CSW69 series of the podcast Walk Talk Listen , Maurice Bloem speaks with Kagwiria, a human rights lawyer and gender technical advisor, about the ongoing fight—though she prefers to call it a journey—for gender equality and justice. With CSW 69 marking 30 years since the Beijing Declaration, Kagwiria reflects on the progress made and the alarming pushback against women’s rights globally. She shares how her upbringing in a family of justice warriors shaped her commitment to this work, recounting how her father, as a land adjudicator, defied patriarchal norms by ensuring fair rulings for women. Now, leading gender advocacy efforts at World Renew, she emphasizes the need to bridge grassroots realities with global policymaking, ensuring that the voices of marginalized women inform international conversations.

 

Throughout the discussion, Kagwiria stresses that faith-based organizations have a critical role to play in advancing gender justice—not just through advocacy but by challenging harmful interpretations of scripture that have long been used to justify inequality. She highlights the power of alliances across sectors, calling for stronger funding, results-driven action, and collective messaging to counter rising opposition. She has a clear reply when she is asked about how she maintains hope in a time of setbacks. Wearing a T-shirt with the message “Gender Justice Now,” Kagwiria embodies the belief that this journey requires all of us to show up, to educate, and to keep moving forward—until equality is a shared reality, not a distant goal.

 

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