As we continue to mark the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, reports show that almost half of women aged between 15 and 49 years in Kenya have experienced either physical or sexual violence.
This was pointed out yesterday at a media briefing on gender based violence (GBV) organised by the National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC).
"According to statistics from the Gender Violence Recovery Centre, 64 per cent of GBV survivors reported that the offenders were known to them while 6 per cent reported perpetrators were unknown to them," pointed out Carol Sherman the Plan International country director.
Ms Sherman said GBV against children continued to thrive despite the existence of various laws and policies protecting them.
She pointed out that in Kilifi County, for example, the child and early marriage rate is 47.4 per cent while in Homa Bay it is at 38 per cent, Bondo at 29.5 per cent, 37.9 per cent in Kwale and in Tharaka Nithi it stands at 25.3 per cent.
Center for Rights Education and Awareness, Men for Gender Equality Now and Transform Nations among other gave briefs on GBV.
Simon Mbevi from Transform Nations said fatherhood played a great role in maintaining our moral fabric.
Speak actively
"Fathers are not playing the role they are meant to play and this has contributed to some of the vices we see in the society. If fathers are involved in the lives of their children then we will see a reduction in social problems including GBV. Men should also be actively involved in speaking against GBV because it affects all of us," said Pastor Mbevi.
Monday's forum was a preamble to the launch of the Keeping the Promise GBV Campaign tomorrow by NGEC at the Ole Sereni Hotel in Nairobi.
The NGEC Chairperson Winfred Lichuma, who was present at the event, said the nationwide campaign seeks to strengthen action and accountability by State and non-State actors on their mandate in relation to GBV work.
She said it would strengthen implementation of the various policies and legislation on GBV through dissemination and awareness creation, and engage communities in negating the culture of acceptance of GBV among other objectives.
"The campaign strategy implementation is in three phases, with the first year holding duty bearers (Executive, Judiciary, Legislature and county governments) to account. The second year will be a survivor-based approach and the third year, being an election year, we shall aim to train and develop an advocacy strategy on sexual and gender based violence in emergencies," she explained.
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