Nyeri, Kirinyaga civil society groups form alliance to fight GBV

 

Civil society organisations from Nyeri and Kirinyaga have formed an inter-county alliance to fight gender based violence in the two counties.

Samuel Wandimi of InformAction said the aim is to map out people with influence and expertise in the community to help fight the vice.

InformAction is an organisation that works around social justice issues.

The experts will include counsellors, lawyers, pastors, doctors and psychologists.

Speaking during the formation of the alliance at JMB Hotel in Kerugoya in Kirinyaga county on Friday, the human rights defender said the move is meant to fill the gap between the state actors in addressing Covd-19 induced GBV in the counties.

The meeting brought together several CSOs from the two counties.

He said working with CSOs to bring in the professionals will ensure they have a community that will do interventions at the lowest level using the available local human and capital resources.

“It is interesting that the gap has been identified by the community because the government has not been offering psychosocial support. Neither the county nor the national government is offering that,” he said.

He said the inter-county alliance will also be sharing experiences to help people realize that they are not alone with the problem.

Wandimi said though GBV was a problem even before Covid-19, the cases increased after the pandemic outbreak.

They include wives and husbands battering, defilement and rape.

Court users committees have also been brought on board so as to explain operations of the courts and enhance the fight.

This is because people fear to go to court, he said.

“They will then unpack the way the court works, which will encourage these people to report cases as they will be equipped with information on how courts operate,” he said.

He said they will also have the courage to volunteer as witnesses, saying most GBV  cases end at the police station because people are not comfortable being witnesses.

 “It is also important that people understand that justice is easier gotten from court or the alternative justice resolution mechanisms that are available, which doesn’t mean a Kangaroo court but the tribunals that arbitrate some of the issues,” he said.

The human rights activist said if people will embrace addressing GBV cases like wife or husband battering at the family or community level, well structured with professionals, then Covid-19 induced separations and divorces will be reduced.

Wandimi attributed the increase in GBV cases to lose of jobs, diminishing resources, unemployment and alcoholism.

Elizabeth Wanja, a psychological counselor,  said most GBV victims who seek her services include victims of rape, defilement and husbands and wives battering.

She called on parents to be keen on looking for signs that may help them realize when their children have been sexually abused.

Such signs include a change in walking style, limping, not sitting down comfortably, blood stains, semen or discharge in their underwear, smell of perfumes that are different from what they use, or even unexplained money in their pockets.

“You may find coins in their pockets and once you start asking them where they got the money, they start feeling nervous and they may stammer and not want to talk,” she said.

In that case, she said, parents should avoid being harsh on children as they may not ever open up on the problem.

Anthony Mathenge from InformAction said most people do not report the cases but instead opt to solve them outside court. He called on the community to embrace the use of the judicial justice system.    BY THE STAR