Strengthening prevention of and response to sexual and gender-based violence in Kenya

As monitoring efforts have demonstrated, cases of sexual and gender-based violence in Kenya consistently increase during election periods. UN Human Rights worked closely with UN Women to strengthen the prevention of and response to SGBV. The objective of their efforts was to empower community-based WHRDs and enhance their engagement with duty-bearers.

Assisting survivors of SGBV 

Fatuma Wambui is the founder and Volunteer Coordinator of the Winam Social Justice Centre, with more than 15 years of experience in SGBV response work. As a survivor of domestic violence, Fatuma is motivated to protect other survivors from the same experiences she endured.

“During the 2017 elections, I handled 19 cases of SGBV. They were reported to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), but the perpetrators were the police. We are now heading to the next elections and none of these cases have been investigated. Survivors are still receiving psychosocial support. They are still being intimidated and not being believed. It can be such a long process,” notes Fatuma.

Equipping Human Rights Defenders 

Caren Kiare Omanga is the founder and Chair of the Nyando Social Justice Centre, situated in western Kenya. “It’s one of the most dangerous jobs to do in Kenya. You need a hard heart. Cultural values in this region and human rights do not go together. We are empowering women, but according to many community elders, we are inciting women against men.” These challenges take a toll on HRDs, often translating into burnout.

To combat these challenges, UN Human Rights and UN Women trained 38 HRDs in four target counties in western Kenya and Nairobi. Consequently, a total of 650 SGBV survivors received counselling and accessed legal aid in 2020-2021. UN Human Rights also facilitated the provision of psychosocial support to WHRDs to help prevent burnout when assisting survivors. 

Goretti Ondola is a survivor who received justice after being supported by HRDs who were trained by UN Human Rights. For over 20 years, the family of Goretti’s late husband subjected her to psychological abuse, culminating in a brutal attack that led to her hospitalization. She reached out to the Nyando Social Justice Centre and, with Caren’s assistance, obtained land rights and a physical boundary that protects her and her son.

“The WHRDs at the Centre helped me get medical care and report the case to the police, which I was not comfortable doing,” says Goretti. Like Caren and Fatuma, Goretti now assists other women by referring them to social justice centres. 

Engagement with duty-bearers

UN Human Rights also works with rule of law and justice system actors to pursue accountability for human rights violations as an important element of prevention. For example, UN Human Rights supported a Tripartite Task Force, under the leadership of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, to develop the Standard Operating Procedures on the Investigation and Prosecution of Serious Human Rights Violations Committed by Police Officers, which were launched on 8 June. 

In addition, UN Human Rights is strengthening connections between HRDs, the IPOA and the justice system to ensure a survivor-centred approach is incorporated into any responses to SGBV perpetrated by police officers.

‍