Establishment of Recue Centre to support GBV survivors in Kisumu County By Valine Moraa
Safety and Security is the immediate response that Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) Survivors must receive even as they seek other services. This reduces the eminent risk of repeated attack from the perpetrator and gives the survivor confidence and peace of mind when seeking for other services within the referral pathway. Peace Initiative Kenya (PIK) project of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) with support from USAID, and working with a consortium of local organisations has highlighted the need for efficient delivery of social and financial resources to curtail Gender Based Violence (GBV). The project works with county governments in improving GBV prevention and service provision. In Kisumu County, PIK has been working with the office of the Women Representative, Gender Technical Working Group, office of the Director of Youth and Gender, County Executive Committee Ministry of Education Gender and Culture as well as Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) to support and lobby for establishment and maintenance of structures for social service delivery such as rescue centers for survivors of GBV. These actions follow recommendations by Kisumu County Women Representative while discussing with PIK project staff. the PIK project report on status of violence in the country. The report titled, My Action Counts: An Assessment Report on GBV Responses in Kisumu County indicates defilement is a common form of GBV in Kisumu County with the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Gender Based Violence Recovery Centre (GBVRC) recording three to four cases per day. The report further reveals that during school holidays, cases of defilement increase to between seven and ten per day. Quoting data from Kisumu Central Police Station, the report notes majority of the survivors are from informal settlements and there is no single safe houses/rescue centers where survivors of GBV can go to even as they heal; it is more difficult for children who have been defiled by their own relatives and they have to put in the same house as they heal. Other forms of violence common to the county include widow inheritance and cleansing, rape, incest and sodomy. Teenage pregnancies and early marriages remain huge consequences of defilement. The report also indicates wife battering and violence against women during electioneering periods as other forms of GBV common to the county.
Myths suggesting that sex with a virgin cures HIV and AIDS highly contribute to sexual violence against children and vulnerable groups including people living with disability and the elderly. Drug and alcohol abuse have also been indicated to escalate GBV. Resources, one of the recommendations by the report to the Kisumu County Government, is need for implementation of Gender Mainstreaming Strategy Plan for 2013-2014 and 2017- 2018. For this to be achieved, the report indicates it will require among other things allocation of financial and human resources to sectors and institutions that work directly in responding to and preventing GBV. PIK has been lobbying the County government officials and structures on the need to improve GBV service delivery in the county. In one of the county engagement with the PIK project, Hon. Nyamunga reiterated the need for partnerships in ending GBV and made her commitment in setting aside a percentage of the Affirmative Action Social Development Fund to renovate a center that the county can use as a safe house for GBV among other development initiatives that would reduce the vulnerability of women and youth to drug abuse and GBV. Knowing the IRC’s expertise in GBV programming, Hon. Nyamunga sought for support and IRC-PIK team offered the technical support on what is required to establish a safe house and at the same time referred her to National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC) since at that time some members of Gender technical committee were in the process of developing Terms of Reference for setting up a Safe/ Rescue center. The office of the Kisumu County Women Representative was also advised on how to come up with a code of conduct to guide those who will be working at the rescue center. The code of conduct would also define the kind of services to be offered at the center. The meeting also discussed the action by the Members of the Kisumu County Assembly in passing a motion that was presented by Hon.Farida Salim, Nominated MCA, to establish seven rescue centers across the county. IRC-PIK project team has linked Hon. Salim with NGEC who have shown the willingness in helping her to draft a bill on the motion passed so that the establishment of the rescue centers can be factored in the financial budget of 20162017. PIK encouraged the office of the Women Representative to work closely with the Gender Technical Working Group since it has a multi sectorial representation from both the state and non-state actors with expertise on GBV programming