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BlogStories from the field

A win for women and girls as Narok county launches Gender policy

April 27, 2022by CREAW

The Narok county Gender Policy launch brought together gender stakeholders in a colourful ceremony that signified the beginning of change and protection of the interest of the minority groups in the county.

Narok County Commissioner Isaac Masinde who presided over the launch recognized the policy is a great milestone to the residents as the vulnerable groups like people with disability, women, and youth will be included in all government initiatives.

The policy which was drafted with the help of the Kenya Women Parliamentary Association (KEWOPA) and grassroots organizations with the help of CREAW-Kenya, aimed at providing gender equality and women’s empowerment in national development and decision processes, enhancing the participation of women and men, boys and girls, access to all government services and initiatives without any form of discrimination.

“One of the goals of launching the policy is to ensure the rights and equality of every mother and to help girls avoid circumcision and early marriage,” said KEWOPA’s Mercy Mwangi, who expressed hope for what the policy would do for the county.

The function was held at the William Ole Ntimama stadium and brought together different stakeholders among them Members of County Assembly, women groups, government officials, Non-Governmental organizations and religious leaders.

Ms Christine Lemain, the chair, Gender committee in the County Assembly said the policy is a big plus to women as they will get a chance to participate in the decision making and development of the county.

“The women are not flower girls in the assembly. We are very important because we have to speak issues affecting women, which are many, in the assembly,” she said.

The Nominated MCA reminded that FGM is a crime in the county saying the women who will engage in the retrogressive practice will risk being arrested and prosecuted.

“We want to make it open in this county that FGM, early marriages and child labour are crime in this county. These are some of the issues the police is addressing,” she said.

Narok Executive Member in Charge of Education, Youth and Gender Cecilia Wepali lauded the NGOs that have been in the forefront of developing the policy that will benefit the Narok residents.

She asked women to vie for political seats and compete for other jobs available so that they too can participate in the development of the Nation.

Since the onset of devolution in the year 2013, Narok County has had only the Women Representative elected as a woman, all other elective positions are normally taken by men.

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BlogStories from the field

Isiolo launches policy for gender mainstreaming in county

April 27, 2022by CREAW

Isiolo became the fifth county to officially launch its very own Gender Policy to help mainstream gender in the county’s policies and processes. The draft of the policy which was introduced to the County Assembly of Isiolo in September 2021 and was unanimously passed by members of the assembly.

The policy was drafted with the support of CREAW and the Kenya Women Parliamentarians Association (KEWOPA). It has been work in progress for the last four years before this great milestone could be achieved.

According to Isiolo county governor Mohamed Kuti, the policy will promote realizatdion of two-third gender rule by offering equal empowerment opportunities for women, youth and girls, and strengthening already existing institutional structures aimed at eliminating all forms of violence.

“The policy will ensure a just society where all live free of discrimination, violence and marginalisation and enjoy equal rights and opportunities for sustainable development,” Dr Kuti said in a speech read on his behalf by county secretary Dr Ahmed Galgalo.

The gender policy 2021/2025 is a progressive move towards ensuring gender equality and protection of women, girls, and youth in Isiolo.

The law provides a clear framework for the implementation of this policy with concrete measures to prevent Sexual Gender-Based Violence, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), and radicalisation of youth to violent extremist groups.

“Inclusion of women and girls in policy and development processes is critical for a gender-equal society. Beyond the launch, we want to see the implementation fast-tracked to deliver safety nets and progress for women and girls,” said Wangechi Wachira, CREAW-Kenya’s Executive Director

Ms. Mercy Mwangi of KEWOPA stressed on the need for the county government and partners to set aside enough funds to support women and girls.

“There is need for equal access to opportunities and resources for women empowerment,” she said.

Several development partners and civil society organisations committed to support implementation of the policy for better results. Isiolo is the fifth county to come up with a gender policy in Kenya after Makueni, Kisumu, Meru and Migori.

 

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BlogStories from the field

Safeguarding the dignity of survivors of sexual and gender based violence

April 22, 2022by CREAW

Corporal Paul Kamau Mwangi, is a police officer at Nairegi Enkare police station in Narok county, who is a crimes and investigations officer that deals with cases of Gender based Violence (GBV). The broad smile on his face and warm reception is one key element in helping survivors of GBV feel comfortable around him hence easily opening up. However, this was never the case before.

Corporal Kamau has been part of a group of police officers trained by CREAW on handling GBV cases, collection of exhibits and preparation of charge sheets for cases.

“Before we would write charge sheets that were not very clear to the DPP hence hampering the investigation process hence denying justice for the survivors of GBV,” Confirms corporal Kamau.

Globally, 1 in every 3 women face some form of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in their lifetime. In Kenya, data from the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey shows that 45% of women and girls face a form of gender based violence annually.

CREAW in partnership with UN Trust Fund has supported the development of a tool for professionally documenting cases, collecting data, keying it into a system and analyzing it.

Ever since the trainings, Kamau acknowledges to have never lost a case on grounds  of technicality. The rate of convictions increased since they were able to present watertight evidence against perpetrators.

“One such case of a man who defiled a young girls and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. In 2021, we had 7 cases in court which are running smoothly with no interference and we hope for a favourable ruling,”

Frequent transfer of police officers from one location to the other, has been one major challenge that Oldonyiro OCS Gilbert Maiyo notes that has been hindering the strengthening of Gender Desks officers.

“It’s imperative to keep on training more officers on matters GBV so as to have a larger population of officers knowledgeable on the topic. As an officer, you can specialize on cases of GBV but need a formidable team to work with, that is equally empowered,” confirms Maiyo.

According to Corporal Kamau, the leading cases of GBV in Nairegi Enkare is Intimate Partner Violence, where out of 60 cases they prosecuted in 2021, more than 20 women were complainants, who reported being assaulted by their spouses. This is closely followed by defilement and rape.

Miles away in Isiolo County, Corporal Benard Omoit has been at the forefront of protecting women and girls. He leads the gender and children protection desk at the Isiolo Police Station. As for Omoit, he attributes a tremendous improvement on handling of GBV cases to training, as well as attending sessions in Court Users Committee (CUC) with various service providers.

“ The committee comprises of various stakeholders in the justice system. That is where we normally meet and iron out hitches and focus on how best we can collaborate and support survivors of GBV access justice,” narrates Omoit.

Thanks to the training, corporal Omoit championed for a specialized Gender Desk that was separated from the crimes and reporting desk, which gave the clients the much needed confidentiality and dignity while reporting vices meted against them.

“As stakeholders, we have been able to reach out to the community through advocacy to break the fear of police by community members hence rebuilding that confidence in the forces,” adds Omoit.

According to a United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, less than 1 in 10 women who seek help after experiencing violence turn to the police, and only a minority of cases of gender-based violence are ever formally reported to the police, with even fewer cases resulting in convictions.

It is to this end that CREAW in partnership with UN Trust Fund, sought to train police officers on sexual and gender based violence cases, so as to protect the dignity of survivors of sexual and gender-based violence by ensuring confidentiality, respect and safety during reporting of cases, as well as collect data on local SGBV trends and use these for effective interventions to advocate for the reduction in the number of SGBV cases. For corporal Kamau and Omoit, these efforts are funning their flame in championing for access to justice for survivors of SGBV as they mentor their fellow police in the crusade.

 

 

 

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