Migori County and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) actors have established intervention measures to help address GBV to protect the rights of women and girls.
The county, through various non-governmental organisations (NGOs) like the Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB), has invested in the legal frameworks, psychological counselling, and training of GBV-direct actors to achieve zero GBV cases in the county.
Benson Onyango, an official from the Catholic Medical Mission Board, said that the organisation has ensured that 44 paralegal officials are trained to help in the identification and referral of GBV cases to the police and other relevant channels.
Benson, who spoke at the end of 16 days of activism against GBV in Masaba town, Suna West Sub County, said that the trained paralegals will also act as linkages in providing legal support to the GBV survivors.
He said, “By investing in legal support through pro-bono advocates, the GBV survivors will have their voice amplified in the fight against the vice and give justice as well as hope to the affected persons.”
Onyango added that CMMB has invested in training psychological counsellors who will focus on providing psychosocial support to the survivors of GBV in the county.
“CMMB has also invested in training guardian riders and trusted Boda boda riders with good records to help in counselling as well as to help provide prompt transport assistance to any GBV-affected party seeking assistance from the relevant authorities,” he said.
The official, however, urged the community to help break the GBV silence to help those who are suffering from the violence.
“We need to help each other by airing out the GBV vice to scale up the fight against this harmful vice in our society,” noted Onyango.
Nyatike Sub-County GBV Coordinator, Ms. Celestine Achieng, said that the department will continue to invest in promoting peace and creating GBV awareness to enable families to evade the vice.
Achieng emphasised that GBV has led to a lot of family breakups that have exposed the endless suffering of children, especially the girl child.
“We will continue to promote dialogue in our communities and help address communication breakdowns to solve GBV issues for the betterment of our society,” said Achieng.
Similarly, Migori County Director of Gender, Inclusivity, and Social Services Lilian Okomo said that the investment measures put forward to address GBV will help to mitigate cyberbullying and violence against women.
Okomo also explained that the triple threat of early marriage, HIV infection, and early pregnancies have been related to GBV, killing the dreams of young girls and women in society.
She advised the county residents to take action by reporting GBV violators to the relevant authorities to help curb the vice. The official also called upon men to play a part in helping to address GBV and hold the moral fabric of family ties as heads of households to have a better society.
On his part, Migori County-National Director of Gender, Kennedy Oomo, underscored the crucial role of men’s engagement as a key component in addressing GBV in the county.
Oomo affirmed that men should keep voicing the voice of the voiceless and amplify the fight against GBV to help protect the rights of women and girls.
By Geoffrey Makokha
