BY ELIJAH GICHUNGE
PHOTO: ANNCIETA MUKIRI

The CEC Education, Gender and Social Development, Linner Nkirote officiated the gender-based violence activism exchange program between the Kilifi County Centre for Rights Education and Awareness (CREAW) led by Ms. Isabella Mwangi Program Officer and Meru County CREAW in Meru.

This comes amid the County Government’s efforts to enhance the Anti-GBV activism. It is on this notch that the Gender Department has formulated the anti- GBV Policy, passed by the Cabinet, awaiting the approval by the County Assembly.

If passed, this will be a big plus to the initiative, as championed through the Meru Twaweza Program.

Though the gender unit isn’t fully devolved, the CEC said as a county, there is a need to be responsible for women, men, youth and children in Meru

She said GBV have negative impact in our lives that gravely affect our productivity across all the socioeconomic and political sectors.

People have inherited such anti-social acts, hence the reason why many incidences of violence have been reported in Meru.

Gender Violence ranges from verbal to sexual harassment in the streets, to domestic violence and physical violence as evidenced through assaults defilement abduction to name but a few and femicide in the extreme cases.

However, many survivors of the GBV do not report such cases for the fear of the unknown. The asked the casualties to voice their encounters early that the necessary action can be taken with agency.
"Do not wait to do a noticeable big thing, the little you do is what will help" said the CEC.

She also took the opportunity to highlight the women transformation education programs the Meru TWAWEZA program has and which began at the county level during its launch. Currently, the trainings have been sequenced to the Sub county level and later to the ward and village levels.

Leah Wambugu, Meru CREAW Program Officer, thanked the county governance for continued support to the organization’s initiatives. Specifically, she noted that through this, the women can now be able to fight for their legal rights

She noted that the 3- day exchange program will involve interaction with the like-minded organizations, sharing of initiatives, interaction with the judiciary, County government, evidencing women initiatives, discussions on fight against FGM in Meru and the link to alternate rites of passage, as well as the launch of the women caucus strategic plan.