Limuru sub-county has launched the sexual, gender-based violence (SGBV) committee in a bid to address rampant cases of the vice within the area.
During the ceremony held at the Limuru Deputy County Commissioner boardroom all the relevant stakeholders in attendance lined up activities that the committee will undertake to ensure that the vice was completely stamped out.
Limuru Deputy County Commissioner Mr. Charles Mukele who presided over the event asked stakeholders to step up their efforts and vigilance to stem the vice from the society by addressing the issue with the seriousness it deserved.
“We recognizing your efforts and capacities in the respective roles you play in handling cases pertaining to gender based violence but more need to be done to deter recurrence of such vices by protecting victims and imposing heavy penalties to offenders” he said.
Kiambu County Executive Committee Member (CEC) in charge of gender Mrs. Mary Kamau who was the chief guest reiterated that more practical ways of addressing the SGBV cases should be adopted including use of technology, utilization of social media and integration of all units from the family level, church, school, courts, police to tame the menace.
She observed that more creative and innovative mechanisms should be devised in all the sub-counties to ensure that perpetrators faced the consequences of their action instead of sugar-coating the issue at the expense of the victim
“In a scenario where we hear the media reporting that 300,000 teenage girls have missed going back to school due to early pregnancies, where are the 300,000 men who contributed to that and what actions have taken so far? ” Mrs. Kamau posed.
She warned men who were responsible for such pregnancies that their days were numbered for ruining the lives of innocent young girls.
National Government County Director for gender department Mrs. Olympia Karimi challenged the society to break their silence and expose perpetrators instead of settling matters outside court insisting that the judiciary was better placed to serve justice to the victims.
As SGBV is a vice that trickles its negative effects to families upwards, Mr Samuel Wanjema, Head of Parents Teachers Association (PTA) in his remarks insisted that parents should sit down with their children and equip them with the right information.
He also said that all respective stakeholders should come up with strategies to address the issues of ignorance, poor parenting skills, harmful practices and continuous awareness creation about SGBV everywhere.
Participants included educationists, social development officers, interfaith heads, police, children officers, persons with disabilities (PWDs) representatives, health officials from the ministry among others who are spearheading actions about SGBV matters within the Limuru sub-county and Kiambu county at large.
By Lydia Shiloya and Jackline Kidaha
