Meet five young Kenyans championing fight against GBV

As the world observed ‘16 Days of Activism' against gender-based violence’ (GBV) that ended on Sunday, December 10, various women’s empowerment organisations and activists turned the spotlight on various forms of GBV in Kenya. They ran impactful campaigns calling for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls.

These Nguvu Change Leaders ran online campaigns to draw attention to this cause:

Josephine Mwende (Nairobi)

Josephine’s campaign was fuelled by medical negligence she endured during her pregnancy. She seeks an end to obstetric violence against expectant mothers with disabilities. As someone navigating life and motherhood with cerebral palsy, she strives to change the exclusionary caregiving culture in Nairobi County hospitals. She is advocating for the implementation of a toll-free hotline, dedicated consultation rooms, and awareness programs to ensure equal health rights for women like her. The online petition addressed to the Ministry of Health, the Commission of Administrative Justice, and the Office of the Governor of Nairobi County, also underscores every woman's right to experience her pregnancy and childbirth with joy and dignity.

Valerie Aura (Kisumu)

She believes GBV victims need a safe house to heal and move forward. She is a survivor of domestic violence. Her campaign highlights alarming increase in GBV cases and urges the government to establish shelters for survivors. Through her online petition asserting equity, dignity, and justice for women and girls, she emphasises that the fight against GBV is hindered by the lack of secure houses where victims can feel safe enough to rebuild their lives. In her campaign, she calls on the Kisumu County government to complete and equip the three safe houses that were commissioned earlier.

Stacy Olendo Obondo (Kiambu)

She seeks the establishment of a special police unit exclusively for issues related to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). A passionate advocate for gender rights, Stacy focuses on the prevention of GBV in intimate partner relationships and is calling for comprehensive policies to aid survivors. In her view, an exclusive SGBV police unit focused on women and children, is crucial for achieving this goal. While police assistance exists, it operates only in Nanyuki, a location inaccessible to many SGBV survivors. Through her online petition, she hopes the National Police Service’s Policare Policy 2021 will be fully implemented to ensure their services extend beyond Nanyuki.

Kerry Mwita (Migori)

With his campaign, Kerry hopes the office of the Chief Justice will soon establish a specialised GBV court in Migori County. A 2011 report by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics and Unicef identifies Migori as a hotspot for SGBV cases in the country. It says 51 per cent of women in the county have experienced GBV, a figure higher than the national average, which stood at 34 per cent. Kerry believes such a court would alleviate the case backlog in mainstream courts, consequently encouraging more residents to pursue litigation as a method of conflict resolution and strengthening public trust in the Judiciary. With the recent launch of the Social Transformation through Access to Justice 2023-2033 blueprint presided by Chief Justice Martha Koome, he is emphasising the urgency to set up and operationalise the court in Migori.

Harriet Afandi (Nairobi)

Harriet, an advocate for women's and children's rights, is championing a path-breaking online petition calling for the urgent need for legislation to address obstetric violence (OBV) in Kenya. Her sister underwent an emergency C-section 11 days past her due date because of the negligence of clinical nurses. This nearly endangered the lives of the mother and the baby. This incident inspired Harriet and two other change leaders Josephine Mwende and Deborah Monari, to support Githunguri Member of Parliament Gathoni Wamuchomba’s proposal to Parliament on a national policy on OBV. Harriet believes the policy proposed by Ms Wamuchomba could save precious lives but hasn’t been prioritised for debate since it was tabled. As a result, Harriet launched a campaign to push for hastened discussions on the proposed policy.