It's our collective job to keep women, girls safe

As the world marks 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, we are once again reminded of the violence women and girls go through. Even though great progress has been made as far as gender equality is concerned, women and girls across the world continue to experience violence in many forms. This violence cuts across cultures, economic status, religions, and borders.

This year’s campaign theme is “UNITE! Invest to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls” which reminds us perfectly about what global figures are showing us. According to a United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) study, a staggering 736 million women have been subjected to physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both at least once in their lifetime. The study also reports that most violence against women is committed by current or former husbands or intimate partners.  More than 640 million women aged 15 and older (26 per cent) have been subjected to intimate partner violence.

At the same time, approximately 48,800 women and girls worldwide were killed by their intimate partners or other family members in 2022. This means that, on average, more than five women are killed every hour by someone in their own family.

According to Kenya National Bureau of Statistics data of 2022, about 34 per cent of women have experienced physical violence since age 15 and 13 per cent of women have experienced sexual violence at some point in their lives. There are, however, many unreported cases of gender-based violence (GBV) due to threat, stigma, isolation, and social exclusion, which expose the victims to violence at the hands of the perpetrators.

These figures paint a grim picture of the extent  to which our world is in violation of women and girls’ rights globally. These are not mere statistics. Behind each number is a woman or girl who was dreaming of a bright and illustrious future and instead has had her life ruined, health destroyed, and future prospects reduced to almost zero. The effects of gender-based violence extend to survivors’ mental health, their ability to access education, and their ability to live a life free from fear and trauma.

It is our collective responsibility to keep our women and girls safe, and it starts at the grassroots level. Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO), an organisation founded by Dr Kennedy Odede in 2004, is leading the fight against GBV in Kenya.

SHOFCO’s Gender and Inclusion programme provides sexual and reproductive health education, temporary shelter for women and girls who have been victims of sexual and gender based violence and links survivors to sustainable livelihood programs and education scholarships to support survivor’s financial dependency that often causes violence. This includes robust prevention programmes through Rights of Children Clubs in schools and gender awareness creation at community level through a movement of gender champions.

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This year alone, SHOFCO has supported 15,162 GBV survivors with legal aid, psychosocial counselling, medical treatment, and referral for further specialised support. Of the cases reported, 254 proceeded to court. SHOFCO also operates two safe houses and works with county governments to strengthen existing safehouses for sustainable support to survivors. The organisation also reached 6,469 children with life skills to strengthen awareness of their rights and GBV to build their self-efficacy.

A multifaceted approach is needed to address both the root causes and the effects of GBV.

SHOFCO has strengthened coordination establishing a multi-sectoral coordination mechanism involving Directorate of Children Services.

The organisation operates real-time data collection and analysis system that monitors GBV cases, allowing for evidence-based decision-making and interventions. It also raises awareness about child protection and GBV, and available support services through community outreach, media campaigns, and partnerships with local partners.

Women and girls who experience violence must have access to comprehensive support services, and SHOFCO has been actively implementing its GBV programme in seven counties

The organisation is constructing five safe houses in five counties and strengthening 48 existing safe houses across the 15 counties, all while aiming to reach 75,000 children with life skills and over 30,000 women and girls with GBV support services by 2027.

As the private sector puts in place programmes to address GBV cases and its impacts, the government must also ensure that women have a safe space to turn to and the resources to rebuild their lives. Let us unite against gender based violence and keep women, girls and children safe — It’s our collective responsibility!

Ms Ng’etich is the project director at SHOFCO while Ms Sakwa is the gender lead