A general lack of awareness of legal provisions within the Sexual Offences Act (SOA) remains one of the key challenges in implementing the Act almost six years after it came into force in July 2006. A report on the implementation of the Act further mentions withdrawal of cases from the formal justice system due to [...]

Lessons learnt from Rwanda’s 1994 genocide period has pushed the country to adopt a holistic approach in the fight against Gender Based Violence (GBV), making it a model country in addressing GBV in conflict and post conflict settings. A two-day workshop convened in Kigali, in November 2011 brought together participants from 13 countries in the [...]

The Kenya Health Sector Emergency Response Plan for Drought and Refugee Influx June-December 2011 indicates that children and women are at the greatest risk of severe malnutrition during prolonged periods of drought. The report further indicates that high rates of anaemia amongst women and children lead to an increase in pregnancy complications and miscarriages affecting [...]

A conference on Female Genital Mutilation/Circumcision (FGM/C) has recommended the set-up of an African Coordinating Centre on Research and Training for ending FGM/C.  The rationale for The African Centre for Research and Leadership Training for the Abandonment of FGM/C would be to support strengthening of leadership and research capacity of FGM/C issues in Africa by [...]

It is now illegal to practice female circumcision, procure the services of a circumciser, or send somebody out of the country to undergo the illegal ‘cut’. The recent Presidential accent of the “Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation Bill, 2010” has made the 1999 ban on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) into law. Offenders of this law [...]

Developing the Northern areas of Kenya and finding political solutions to accelerate peace in Somalia are some of the long-term solutions that could see an end to increased gender violence cases in this area. Speaking during a Live interview on Citizen TV Dr. Klaus Hornetz, outgoing Programme Leader of the GIZ Health Sector Programme indicated [...]

The need to come up with sustainable models of financing GBV medical and legal services was touted as a key recommendation of a study validation workshop on GBV. The study commissioned by the GIZ Good Governance Programme also recommended the need to push the Ministry of Medical Services to ensure gazettment of the Post Rape Care Form which [...]

While Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation Dirk Niebel visited the drought-affected areas in Kenya and Daadab, a press-delegation went to Eastleigh in Nairobi to gather more information on Germany’s interventions in Kenya.

In order to effectively and efficiently utilize resources, agencies under the umbrella of the German Development Cooperation (GDC) namely, Financial Cooperation (KfW) and GIZ Health Sector Programme and Good Governance, convened to align their work and resources in the area of gender based violence (GBV) in Kenya. This was a follow up on meetings held [...]

Gender in programming, has been misconceived as addressing women issues whereas it is all about ensuring that each stage in the project life cycle gives due consideration to all stakeholders in a community in this context boys, girls, men and women. Questions as to whether gender is being incorporated into programming and how this can [...]