The context
In Kenya, despite a favourable gender equality legal framework, serious inequalities between men and women persist, especially in pastoralist and agro-pastoralist communities in the arid and semi-arid lands (ASAL) of the country. Among them, Narok County, which was selected as specific area of intervention, reports in absolute terms the highest number of cases of SGBV (Sexual Gender Based Violence), FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) and early pregnancies. This happens in a context where only 2.7% of women are aware of and access available support services. Moreover, in Narok County, only 63.5% of students have received training on issues related to adolescent’s sexual and reproductive health rights. Consequently, most of girls and boys are not aware of their sexual and reproductive health rights and fail to act as agents of change with respect to discriminatory social norms and gender dynamics.
Our intervention
In order to address this situation, we have tailored an intervention centered on the civil society which foresees some main components:
- Training in schools to students, young people in and out of the school, teachers and parents/guardians on issues related to Sexual and Reproductive Health, women's rights, access to adolescent sexual and reproductive health services (ASRH), pregnancy prevention, harmful traditional practices (HTP) such as female genital mutilation (FGM) and early marriage.
- Creation of joint programs between MoH (Ministry of Health), MoE (Ministry of Education), MoG (Ministry of Gender) and other relevant partners for the provision of sexual health information/sexuality education to adolescents.
- Education for pregnant adolescent girls/survivors of GBV, in and out of school, on school reintegration policy.
- Development and dissemination of training materials/guidelines and capacity building of health, legal and media workers at County-level on GBV and ASRH.
- Support county authorities in managing GBV cases
- Construction and equipping of a One stop safe house for adult women victim of GBV.
- Implementation of an Awareness and Communication Plan for communities, gatekeepers and opinion leaders in Narok County (including awareness and media campaign, community level and men’s dialogue forums, photo and video exhibition, etc.).
- Technical advice to support the implementation of gender policies at county level.