In Kenya, authorities and civil society groups are using a wide array of tactics to prevent gender-based violence.
As part of the UN Women’s Generation Equality Forum Action Coalition on Gender-based Violence, the Government of Kenya has forged a path to reducing violence against women and girls.
“We believe that empowering women is not just a moral obligation; it’s an economic imperative”, said Phoebe Makungu, the Generation Equality Forum focal point at Kenya’s State Department for Gender and Affirmative Action.
“Our policy reforms, local initiatives, and strategic investments are laying the groundwork for a society where women thrive, not just as survivors but as active contributors to our nation’s progress”, she said.
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In coordination with the Generation Equality Forum, the country’s government has rolled out localised programmes targeting gender-based violence in nine towns and counties, including toll-free lines to report gender-based violence and clinics to provide services to survivors.
The government has also supported the Anti-Female Genital Mutilation Board, a UN Women partner. In 2021, a council of elders in the Samburu region signed a declaration committing to champion the end of this harmful practice, and a council in the Mt. Elgon region has committed to signing a similar declaration this year.
In a statement made at its 2021 signing ceremony in Samburu, the Supreme Council of Elders acknowledged that such rites of passage “no longer depicted positive values and norms. They have ended up causing more harm to our girls in the long run”.
“From now, we are going to take measures to protect girls and prevent FGM from taking place in our community”, the statement said.
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Looking Forward
In the pursuit of gender equality, investing in women is not only a moral imperative but also an economic necessity.
“Empowering women is an investment in our nation’s prosperity and strength,” Makungu said. “Our strides in policy reforms, awareness campaigns, and services aim for a future where every woman can thrive, contributing significantly to a just society resilient against violence.”
At the halfway mark of the UN Women Generation Equality campaign, the Government of Kenya serves as an example of investing in women and the leadership and collective commitment needed to build a world where women not only survive but thrive.
Source: UN Women
