In May, we shall be marking the United Nations International Day of Families, which is a time for us to reflect on the family’s essential role in society and the significance of inclusive policies that safeguard every family type. We need to assess family-oriented policies at the national level regarding sustainable development efforts through the lens of different family structures as society moves toward the 2025 World Summit for Social Development.
For many years Kenya has celebrated its family structure by following traditional norms that define family as a couple with profoundly heteronormative origins. The embedded definitions in the National Policy on Family Promotion and Protection lack adequate recognition of modern family diversity in Kenya. The Policy claims to both protect and cultivate families, but it frequently gets deployed as an instrument to enforce restrictive standards that especially discriminate against sexual and gender minorities.
Anti-rights movements use family-oriented rhetoric to attack the rights of women among LGBTQ+ individuals, along with minority populations. Groups form alliances during the International Day of Families to promote backward political positions through the false promise of stopping cultural erosion. Anti-rights groups push a restrictive definition of the family structure without giving attention to societal diversity.
The actual situation in Kenya resembles that of other countries where families take various structures, including single-parent households, along with grandparent-led households and child-led families resulting from HIV/AIDS and conflicts, and LGBTQ+ households and collective care arrangements. Different family setups support the functioning of society to an equivalent degree to conventional family structures. The present-day legal structures fail to recognize these alternate family structures by either making them illegal or failing to accept their legitimacy.
The most evident exclusion occurs within Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR). Fulfilling the basic requirements of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights functions both as a core human right and establishes the foundation for well-being in communities and balanced gender equality and environmental development. The discrimination system makes it nearly impossible for non-heteronormative families to gain access to their essential needs. Young members of the LGBTQ+ community face two serious issues within their families when they encounter physical abuse or doctors refuse to provide supportive healthcare, leading to forced homelessness, since the communities meant to protect women and girls routinely turn out to be sites where gender-based violence (GBV) occurs.
Substantial breaches in the National Policy on Family Promotion and Protection in Kenya parallel the societal situations experienced by Kenyan families. The policy lacks sufficient solutions that connect family structures, gender diversity, and sexual identities. The policy lacks full safeguards against sexual and gender-based violence in families because it neglects to protect vulnerable sexual and gender minorities. Through its lack of action on these matters, the policy enables discrimination and aggressive actions towards vulnerable groups.
The Policy recognizes family values crucially, but fails to investigate which values it promotes and for which people. What set of values do these considerations represent, including love, protection, mutual respect, and dignity? The values follow two possible paths: either they support compassion and justice, but contradict conformity and control. Without clear definitions, the door faces total exposure, so harmful interpretations can be demolished instead of advancing human rights.
Sustainable development requires the initial establishment of policies that address the genuine circumstances of every community member. This means that lawmakers must apply family protection legislation across every policy domain to recognize LGBTQ+ families and single-parent households along with their relatives by choice and blood, every person should have access to complete SRHR services independently of their sexual orientation and gender identity in addition to their family background, the legal system needs enhanced protection against SGBV which occurs inside families together with increased support services for people who experience violence, policy development for families becomes effective when communities take part in the design process alongside marginalized groups who participate actively in policy evaluation and diverse family and gender knowledge should be included in public education while simultaneously addressing dangerous stereotypes through revised curriculum reforms.
The upcoming Second World Summit for Social Development in 2025 provides Kenya with the chance to demonstrate leadership. Family-oriented policies under our leadership should serve as unifying forces that create acceptance instead of segregation. All people, regardless of their background or family status, should have access to dignified safety as well as health services through suitable policies.
The new definition of “family values” should build from traditions through principles of equality alongside inclusive and fair standards. The celebration of the International Day of Families supports both the vision of a sustainable, compassionate society and the essence of its mission.
Kelvin Mokaya is a communications consultant and public health advocate at The Legal Caravan.
