What is the Addressing Sexual & Gender Based Violence in Kibera Program?
USAID’s Addressing Sexual and Gender Based Violence in Kibera program is raising awareness about gender based violence among residents of the Kibera informal settlement. Additionally, the program is improving access to medical, psychological, and economic support services for victims of gender-based violence and their dependents. Finally, the program is working to strengthen the response of the legal and health systems for those affected by the problem.
Project Duration and Budget
July 2011 – July 2014
$600,000
Who implements the Addressing Sexual & Gender Based Violence in Kibera Program?
Center for Rights Education and Awareness (CREAW)
www.creawkenya.org
CREAW works with government, civil society, religious leaders and community members to coordinate expertise, resources, and efforts to address gender based violence.
Where does the Addressing Sexual & Gender Based Violence in Kibera Program work?
In Nairobi’s informal settlement area of Kibera
What does the Addressing Sexual & Gender Based Violence in Kibera Program do?
The program’s activities address the dual goals of increasing access to justice and integrated support services among the survivors of violence in Kibera, and increasing overall public awareness about gender based violence. Current and future activities include:
A high-profile project launch in Kibera to expose hundreds of community members to the program and the services it provides. Community theatre groups continue to expand outreach and exposure among the settlement’s residents.
A “one stop shop” platform is being developed that will include legal aid, psychosocial support, and access to medical and economic empowerment services for victims.
An updated database of clients and cases is being maintained both to track individual cases and to allow for aggregation of data. The program is working to incorporate its data into the national statistics maintained by the National Gender and Equality Commission.
Public information mass media programing around gender based violence issues, including jingles and radio call-in shows are raising public consciousness.
Trainings will be provided for a number of audiences including teachers and school children, safe house managers, healthcare and legal system workers as well as for the victims themselves.
How is the Addressing Sexual & Gender Based Violence in Kibera Program making a difference?
As a result of public outreach events organized around International Human Rights Day and International Women’s Day, approximately 1,100 people were provided with information on gender based violence and related laws.
Cooperation has improved among community based organizations, governments, and religious leaders dealing with gender based violence in Kibera as a result of working on the “one stop shop” platform together.
Before the project launch in November 2011, the CREAW offices received an average of 20 new cases per month; in the months after the numbers have steadily grown to an average of 35, with 60 cased reported in March 2012 alone.
36 gender-based violence cases have been filed in court and are awaiting judgment. Over 40 mediations have been conducted to resolve conflicts between couples. Following mediation, parents sign “responsibility agreements” which act as a legally binding and enforceable document through which parents/guardians jointly agree on modalities for provision of the upkeep and custody of their children.
What key challenges does the Addressing Sexual & Gender Based Violence in Kibera Program face?
Many victims of gender based violence are reluctant to bring their cases to court. Those who do decide to pursue their case though the legal system face a very long wait even to receive an initial hearing date due to a backlog of court cases. This situation not only delays justice for victims but discourages them from taking their cases to court at all. CREAW is working with Kenya’s National Council for Administration of Justice to explore ways of enhancing service delivery within the judiciary to better respond to the needs of its clients.
For more information:
Wangechi Wachira, Executive Director
Center for Rights Education & Awareness
P.O. Box 11964-00100
Nairobi, Kenya
Phone/Fax : + 254-20-386 0640
Email : Wangechi@creaw.org
Betty Mugo, AOR
USAID/Kenya
Democracy, Human Rights and Governance
Tel: +254 208 622 702
Email: bmugo@usaid.gov
The Addressing Sexual & Gender Based Violence in Kibera Program in actionWinnie Achieng (real name withheld for confidentiality purposes) is twenty seven years of age. Winnie and her husband were married for two years and had one child. However, when they ultimately decided to part ways, Winnie was left as a single parent with no income and no child support from her son’s father. In January 2012, Winnie reported her case to the CREAW offices. She was hoping that someone would be able to help her find her child’s father and encourage him to provide financial support for the child as required by Kenya’s Children’s Act of 2001. CREAW’s legal officer eventually located the child’s father, who had moved to Mombassa--hundreds of kilometers away from Kibera. After much discussion and an education about his responsibilities under the law, he agreed to support Winnie and their son with a specified amount each month. Since their agreement was drafted in January 2012, Winnie has consistently received financial support for her son, and is grateful to the existence of the gender based violence project. Winnie will be among the first beneficiaries of the program’s upcoming economic empowerment component, through which she will be trained and linked to an income generating activity. |
Updated July 2012
Last updated: March 11, 2013
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