PIK supports Nandi County develop Strategic Plan to address GBV By Valine Moraa
Nandi County, situated in the Rift Valley region is Kenya’s athletics hub and commonly identified with the tagline ‘home of champions’. It is home to world’s celebrated athletes, including world record breakers such as Julius Yego, Pamela Jelimo, Janet Jepkosgei and the legendary athlete Kipchoge Keino. The county is also renowned for its dairy and tea farming and is endowed with a beautiful topography that consists of the scenic Nandi Hills. However, despite its accolades, a report by International Rescue Committee under the Peace Initiative Kenya (PIK) project titled My Action Counts: An Assessment of Gender Based Violence (GBV) Responses in Nandi County, reveals that the county also has a high prevalence of Gender Based Violence. According to the report, cases that are mostly reported at the Kapsabet Law Courts range from defilement of children leading to early and forced marriages, rape and wife battering as well as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). This reality has prompted various actions to address the problem. However, to address some of the issues in this county, the government has made a notable stride in the development of a Strategic Plan on Gender Based Violence (GBV) and Gender Mainstreaming. Nandi County civil society organizations officials discuss GBV issues in the county
The three-year plan provides an operational framework and targets tackling the problem from the roots. The Strategic Plan elaborates structures and chains of responsibilities as well as programmatic areas and activities for achieving the expected results. The Strategic Plan also provides guidance on how to ensure gender responsiveness in policies, programmes, processes and activities towards gender equality and advancement of women for sustainable development of the county. According to Nandi County Director of Youth and Gender Alex Oyuga, the Strategic Plan was developed through a participatory coordinated process headed by the Department of Youth and Gender and emanated from consultative meetings held with the Nandi County Gender Technical Working Group that has representatives from diverse stakeholders addressing GBV issues within the county. “The need for a participatory approach in the development of the Strategic Plan was essential so as to assess GBV and gender equality issues for incorporation in the Strategic Plan,” Oyuga explains.
Oyuga notes that the Strategic Plan also serves as a tool for efficient coordination of gender response programmes implemented within the county. “The Strategic Plan provides a framework for tracking government/donor policies and budgets on GBV related programmes and is a strong advocacy and resource mobilization tool for effective GBV programme delivery in the county,” Oyuga reiterates. “The Strategic Plan aims at achieving gender equality, particularly in legislation, participation, representation, empowerment and distribution of resources,” says Oyuga. He explains: “Both men, women, boys and girls are expected to benefit from the programmes which are aimed at achieving better social welfare for all.” Rural Women Peace Link (RWPL), a partner of the Peace Initiative Kenya (PIK) project, has been working with various stakeholders in Nandi and undertaking dialogue as well as community diagnosis around Gender Based Violence which has served as a catalyst for both improved coordination as well as the development of this Strategic Plan. The organisation has given both technical and partial financial support to the process of developing the Strategic Plan from the beginning. “Since commencing partnerships with stakeholders in Nandi County, RWPL has continued to enjoy both goodwill and support in addressing Gender Based Violence in the community,” says Fred Yego, Programme Officer at RWPL. He notes: “Currently, the issue of Gender Based Violence is addressed openly and we are gradually witnessing various initiatives that indicate positive impact of our interventions in this once conservative area.” PIK project documentations on GBV issues in Nandi County, such as; My Action Counts: An Assessment of Gender Based Violence (GBV) Responses in Nandi County, Tusemezane Magazine (which is a monthly publication documenting on GBV issues in the nine counties where PIK project implements), and a video documentary dubbed The Story of Nandi County served as reference material during the development of the Nandi County Strategic Plan on GBV and gender mainstreaming.