To celebrate the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, in Nairobi, Italy and the Kenyan artists it managed to involve did not just “do something”: they organised a sort of silent counter-march, with paintbrushes instead of guns, but with the same noise, that of consciences awakening.
For the third edition of the Activate Nairobi campaign — promoted by the regional office of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute in Nairobi (IIC) — art was recruited as an ally in the war that women fight every day against gender-based violence.
The launch event was held at the National Library of Kenya, “Maktaba Kuu”, and featured the presentation of the exhibition Canvas of Change, which brings together the works of emerging and professional Kenyan artists “who have celebrated the rights of women and girls ... through their talent and creative vision”.
Alongside the canvases — but also digitally — came the award ceremony for the “Empowering Art: Kenya's Creative Voices” competition, launched on 8 March (Women's Day) and supported by an artistic residency led by Stefania D'Amato in September at the IIC Nairobi.
The ceremony was attended by Lorenza Gambacorta (Deputy Head of Mission at the Italian Embassy in Kenya), Fabio Minniti (Director of the AICS regional office) and Elena Gallenca (Director of the IIC Nairobi).
 But that's not all: the Kenyan Minister for Equal Opportunities, Culture and Children's Services, Hanna Wendot Cheptumo, and the UN Women representative for Kenya, Antonia N'Gabala-Sodonon, also took their seats. Minniti, with a touch of disenchanted realism that suits our style, declared: 
“Transforming creativity and talent in support of a clear message for Kenyan citizens”.
What does this mean? It means that art — painting, photography, creative residency — is not a quirk. It is a weapon, a megaphone, a way to transform the noise of the victims' silence into a chorus that is no longer content to be heard.
The context demands it: in Kenya, the international campaign “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence” (25 November–10 December) is more than an annual ritual. It is a cry rising from informal neighbourhoods, from women counting numbers, from girls counting minutes.
AICS reports that in Kenya, more than one in four women has suffered physical or psychological violence at the hands of a partner.
Furthermore, between 2021 and 2024, more than 500 cases of femicide were recorded in the country.
In this context, art becomes a political act. Not “just” denunciation, but provocation, choice, vision.
In concrete terms, what does Activate Nairobi involve? In addition to the exhibition and competition, there is a series of eight events — from round tables to film screenings, theatre performances to stand-up comedy — all based on a simple idea: to reach different people, to enter schools, universities and everyday life.
One example: the round table “Women Leadership in Climate Action: Transformative Strategies and Solutions”, attended by Kenyan and Italian climate activists, highlighted the link between gender, empowerment and environmental change.