Violence against women is regrettably the world’s most prevalent and persistent human right violations thus the need to start improving the life outcome of girls from a young age to protect themselves when they need to.
Gender-Based Violence (GBV) is a systematic, pervasive, human rights abuse that threatens the lives and wellbeing of women and girls, and prevents them from accessing opportunities for education, employment and healthcare.
However, through various interventions by government, action groups, campaigns, and violence prevention programs GBV is preventable.
One of such groups is Ujamaa Africa and NGO that has partnered with the government through the ministry of education to teach gender-based violence prevention, intervention and recovery in schools across the county.
During one of their trainings in Kiambu county on Wednesday October 3, 2024 Michael Osore, the County Project Coordinator Ujamaa Africa said they have developed an evidence based and survivor designed program for sexual violence prevention, intervention and recovery called Empowerment Transformation Training (ETT) Gender-based violence (GBV).
“In partnership with Kenya’s Teachers Service Commission and the Ministry of Education we have been training teacher champions to deliver the program within the counties we operate in which include Machakos, Kiambu, Nairobi, Kajiado, Homabay, Migori, Nakuru, Kakamega, Makueni, Kisii,” said Osore.
He added that the training includes proven intervention models that raise awareness on the dangers of GBV and teaches practical physical defense skills to girls.
“ETT is a 12-hour program disseminated in 6 weeks with key focus on Girl’s empowerment & Self-Defense (GESD), here girls are equipped with simple and effective violence avoidance techniques which will help them thwart away any form of violence more than half the time,” added Osore.
The training aims at investing in girls’ access to the forms of education that protect them has been termed as fundamental since it empowers girls to recognize and avoid predators and defend themselves when necessary.
Over the years the organisation discovered that to be successful in the fight against violence against girls, boys had to be involved hence the birth of ‘Hero in Me’ a program for the boys which looks into activating positive masculinity through changing attitudes and perceptions by reshaping harmful beliefs on gender and sexuality stereotypes.
“The curriculum for these young men is centered on getting them to think about what kind of people they want to be,” said Osore “It’s about really getting them invested in why they need to step up and care about violence toward women, as it affects their mothers, sisters and girlfriends,”
On her part the County Director- Gender Olympia Karimi, who hosted the training that brought stakeholders from different departments and organisations in Kiambu, said GBV is an issue that requires a multi-sectoral response from both the government and the private sector.
“I thank Ujamaa Africa for such a noble initiative, as women- and girl-led grassroots organizations are the backbone of gender equality advocacy and have so far driven positive outcomes across reproductive and education rights, and campaigns to end child marriage, GBV cases, female genital mutilation and the climate crisis as well,” stated Karimi
A 2018 analysis of prevalence data conducted in 161 countries and areas, by WHO on behalf of the UN Interagency working group on violence against women, found that worldwide, nearly 1 in 3, or 30%, of women have been subjected to physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner or non-partner sexual violence or both.
By Grace Naishoo
