In post-COVID-19 the County government in collaboration with Plan International and Talanta Africa have taken significant steps to combat sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in Kisumu.
The partnership set to establish access to justice for SGBV survivors through evidence protection for the Prevention and Management of SGBV, following the rising cases reported in Kisumu County with a few having progressed to the court of law.
During a 2-day stakeholder meeting held at Wigot, the discussions were geared towards improving access to justice for women and survivors of SGBV by supporting the capacity of the formal justice sector to investigate and prosecute SGBV cases.
Despite the passage of the sexual offenses Act of Kenya to eliminate all forms of gender violence, SGBV still remains a challenge. The County gender office together with its partners has continued to prioritize SGBV within its programming in Kisumu despite new challenges presented by the pandemic.
In Kisumu, records indicate that prosecution of SGBV cases remains relatively low as one of the key obstacles to the successful prosecution of these cases is the failure to present sufficient substantiating evidence in court and improving the collection and preservation of forensic evidence is key to increasing access to justice for survivors.
Stakeholder meetings sought to address sexual offenses and improve its transparency and efficiency in the processing of SGBV cases. The partnership intends to increase understanding of SGBV referral pathways and preventive mechanisms through training of the duty bearers and awareness-raising activities to reach out to a wide range of stakeholders.
