The Generation Equality Forum (GEF), through the Akili Dada initiative and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Kenya forum has launched its commitment to end Gender Based Violence (GBV) in Samburu County by 2030.
Speaking during the launch in Maralal town Thursday, SDG Kenya forum Gender Officer Mary Mumo said the commitment aims at ending Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), child marriages and all forms of violence against women and girls in Samburu County.
Mumo said SDG Kenya forum has several targets, but its main focus in Samburu County is working on gender equality and ending all forms of violence against women.
She added that the GEF commitments were made in 2021 by several governments, after adopting the 1995 Beijing declaration, while Kenya made three commitments around ending GBV in the country.
“We are launching a domesticated generation equality forum for Samburu County to strengthen our commitment in ending all form of violence against women and girls by 2030 at the county level, which are made worse by poverty, the ever-worsening effects of climate change and Covid-19,” she said.
On her part, Emma Mogaka from Akili Dada organization said that their role in Samburu County is building the capacity of young women and girls as leaders in the platforms that they have access to, be it in schools or places of work.
“We are committed to empowering young Samburu women and adolescent girls by encouraging them to speak on their own behalf and be agents of change,” she said.
Mogaka appealed to Samburu women to be actively engaged in different platforms they have access to, from community to the national level, so that their voices can be heard.
Area Assistant County Commissioner (ACC) George Murage welcomed the launch of GEF in Samburu County, noting that the county has been experiencing various forms of GBV.
Murage added that the National government will ensure the commitments are implemented to end all forms of violence against women in Samburu County.
By Robert Githu
