County Assemblies told to enact laws on SGBV

Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Adhiambo Odinga{In a Red Scuff} joins other leaders from Nyanza region during the Daughters of the Lake Convention recently held in Homa Bay County-Photo Courtesy

By Dickson Odhiambo

 

December 11, 2023

 

County Assemblies told to enact laws on SGBV

 

The 47 County Assemblies across the country have been urged to enact laws on Sexual and Gender Based Violence.

 

Kisumu County Woman Representative Ruth Adhiambo Odinga says policies on Sexual and Gender Based Violence should be passed by all the 47 county assemblies across the country thereafter should be enacted into laws.

 

Adhiambo says once the SGBV policies are enacted into law, then they will be very effective and the public will immensely benefit.

 

She observes that a number of county assemblies across the country have not passed  the Sexual Gender, adding that Members of the County Assemblies{MCAs} should be in the frontline to ensure the passage and enactment of such laws.

 

Speaking during the recently held Daughters of the Lake Convention in Homa Bay while marking the end of 16 Days Activism on Gender Based Violence, the Kisumu Woman Representative has hailed Kisumu County for launching the Sexual and Gender Based Policy becoming the first county to do so.

 

Adhiambo says the issue of Sexual Gender based Violence should be given a multi-sector approach, adding that this is the way to go in order to minimize such cases within the society.

 

The Kisumu County Woman Representative at the same time has said the issue of teenage pregnancy should be dealt with while given an all-inclusive approach.

 

She urges girls to take their time in studying while giving it a priority, adding that it is the most important thing for them while in school.

 

Adhiambo has asked the teenage girls to abstain completely, adding that  there is time for everything in everyone’s life.

The Kisumu County Woman Representative’s sentiment comes barely a few months after an Organization embarked on the issue  supporting a program aimed at reducing the cases of teenage pregnancies across the country.

The Forum for African Women Educationists Kenya Chapter {FAWE KENYA} is carrying out the project known as Imarisha Msichana Program in 20 counties across the country on a pilot basis.

Addressing Journalists during a two day workshop to enhance the capacity of the media practitioners to report professionally and ethically on Gender sensitive and effective Sexual and Reproductive Health Right {SRHR}in June this year, FAWE Kenya Chief Executive Officer Teresa Otieno said the program is being implemented by organization in partnership with the mastercard foundation, Kenya Red Cross and Creaw.

Otieno says the program aims to significantly reduce the incidences of Teenage pregnancies in Kenya and beyond the Covid-19 crisis.

The Fawe Kenya Chief Executive Officer says the program is being piloted in 20 counties namely Nakuru, Nairobi, Machakos, Elgeyo Marakwet, Kiambu, Garissa, Bungoma, Kakamega, Nyeri, Migori, Muranga and Kajiado.

Others include Narok, Homa Bay, Trans-Nzoia, Nyandarua, Busia, Meru, Siaya and Turkana.

Otieno says the actual interventions include collaboration with key stakeholders in the generation of credible and acceptable data on teenage pregnancies in Kenya that advises on apt solutions.

She says such a program will also help in championing for the re-entry of girls to school, sensitization forums for girls, Young women, boys, young men, parents, community leaders on human sexuality and prevention of pregnancy and Media advocacy programs.

The Fawe CEO urges the media practitioners to report accurately and fairly on the issues of Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights {SRHR} with an aim of writing stories that can bring change in the community.

The Center for Rights Education and Awareness (CREAW-Kenya) in January this year said it received over 3,762 cases of Gender-Based Violence in 2022.

Out of those cases, 2,985 cases of GBV were by women while 777 cases were by men. The various types of GBV included physical assault, emotional abuse, defilement and rape.

The  National Council for Population and Development says 15% of teenagers aged 15 to 19 years have begun motherhood according to the findings of the 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS).

This is a decline from 18% reported in 2014. 50% of teenagers age 15-19 in Samburu County have begun child bearing compared to 5% in Nyeri County.

The Council says the Government is committed to ending teenage pregnancy by 2030 through the use of innovation and technology that will ensure adolescents and youth attain the highest possible standards of health.

Among measurements the government and stakeholders have undertaken to address teenage pregnancy include establishment of the National Policy Steering Committee, National Technical Working Group, County Steering and Technical Working Group, Parents Teachers Network.

According to the Council, the government and stakeholders have also launched the Triple Threat Campaigns to address the teenage pregnancy, New HIV Infections and Gender Based Domestic Violence.