Mandera: Kenya Women Senators Association (KEWOSA), in partnership with human rights organisations, has officially launched an awareness and empowerment campaign in Mandera County to eliminate Gender Based Violence against women and girls. The initiative is spearheaded by nominated Senator Mariam Sheikh, who emphasized the importance of empowering women to speak out and demand justice.
According to Kenya News Agency, Senator Mariam expressed concern over the alarming rise in GBV cases, with more than 400 incidents reported in the past year alone. 'The silence around GBV must end. Women must rise and speak out. This is not just a women's issue-it is a societal crisis that demands urgent action,' said Senator Mariam. She affirmed that KEWOSA would continue pushing for stronger legislation and increased protection for women and girls.
Mandera East Deputy County Commissioner (DCC) Solomon Cheboton echoed the senator's sentiments, stressing the importance of protecting all genders from GBV. He urged the public to utilise existing resources, such as Gender Desks in all police stations across the county, for reporting GBV cases.
Women leaders at the event condemned the misuse of the Maslaha system to suppress GBV cases, calling on communities to instead pursue formal justice mechanisms. They emphasised that culture should not be used as a shield for injustice. Religious leaders were also cautioned against downplaying GBV, with speakers warning of spiritual accountability. 'Fear God and stand firmly against all forms of violence,' they were told.
Despite the challenges, the fight against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Mandera has shown slight progress, with the prevalence of the practice dropping by 0.2% in the last two years.