Mastercard Foundation has partnered with local women’s rights groups to address the rising cases of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in Kenya.
The Centre for Rights Education and Awareness (Creaw Kenya), Grassroots Organisations Operating Together in Sisterhood (Groots Kenya) and Collaborative Centre for Gender and Development (CCGD) came up with a programme aimed at supporting survivors of SGBV.
Development Diaries learnt that the Mastercard Foundation, in partnership with the aforementioned organisations, will implement an Sh400 million Resilience and Recovery Programme in ten counties in the country.
The areas to benefit from the programme are Nairobi, Kiambu, Kakamega, Tharaka Nithi, Mombasa, Kwale, Kilifi, Busia, Kajiado, and Mandera.
It was noted that the programme will provide support services – such as such as shelter homes, emergency rescue services for women at risk, psychosocial support like counselling, free legal advisory services, affordable business loans for survivors, and in-kind grants – to survivors of SGBV.
‘It is the right of girls and women to live free from violence’, the Executive Director at Groots Kenya, Ms. Githuku, said.
‘It is a basic human right yet most vulnerable members of society, including women, children, persons living with disability and the elderly, are suffering.
‘We have to do everything possible to ensure that sexual violence on women comes down’.
It was gathered that the situation on the ground was worrying and action was necessary before things got out of hand.
The woman representative of Kiambu, Gathoni Wamuchomba, said, ‘Cases of SGBV, including defilement and rape, are, for example, very rampant in the county yet many are not reported.
‘It is very sad to note that sexual violence is very high in the county but is being hidden. FGM is being done secretly on innocent girls and women’.
She said that there was a need to take drastic measures to reduce the rampant sexual violence against girls and women in the county.
According to the Kenya Demographic Health Survey, 45 percent of women and girls face some form of gender-based violence annually.
Source: Nation Media Group
File photo source: Cynthia Mbamalu
