Janet Mbugua highlights unseen battles women lawyers undergo
Janet Mbugua has highlighted the quiet struggles and achievements of women in Kenya’s legal profession, saying that much of the real work happens long before it makes headlines.
In an Instagram post on Sunday, November 30, 2025, she said, “Sometimes the real work shows up long before the headlines… It lives in the quiet stories women share in corridors and offices.”
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“The cases that changed them. The moments that shook them. The courage it took to return the next day.” Mbugua’s message comes at a time when Kenya’s legal field is almost half women, yet only a small number hold senior decision-making positions.
She points out that the progress women have made is real, but so are the gaps.
“That is where women in law have been leading, long before anyone was watching,” she said.
In her video, Mbugua mentions Gloria Kimani, Julie Matheka, and Melvin Thogo as examples of the doors that have been opened in the profession and the efforts to leave paths wider for others, even if their personal stories were not detailed.
Quiet work behind progress
Mbugua’s focus is on the unseen work and everyday courage of women in law.
She asks viewers to reflect on their role in supporting one another, saying, “So if you are a woman in law, what is the one commitment you can make to help another woman grow? What step can you take today that strengthens the path for those coming after you?”
The video encourages mentorship, solidarity, and small actions that collectively strengthen the profession for future generations.
Mbugua stresses that real change does not always make headlines. It is built in quiet acts, in showing up, and in creating opportunities for those who follow.
Her message reminds viewers that every act of support, guidance, and courage contributes to a broader movement for equality.
She shines a light on the work that often goes unnoticed. Her video is a call to action for women in the profession to continue supporting one another and to recognise that progress, though slow and sometimes invisible, is real and ongoing.
