The prevalence of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) against women and girls in Kenya remains high, despite the efficacy of response and prevention frameworks tackling it. Most rescue, recovery, and rehabilitation programs (RRRPs) focus on survivors’ medical, psychosocial, and legal needs,  ignoring the nexus between violence and Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE). A recent study by the Kenyatta University Women’s Economic Empowerment (KU-WEE) Hub sought to establish the effectiveness of RRRPs in helping survivors recover and interrogated GBV as a constraint to women’s work and WEE. The study established that GBV impinges on WEE as resources are channeled away from investments to treatment and recovery. Through a partnership with KU-WEE Hub, Innovations for Poverty Actions (IPA) hosts a series of evidence-sharing workshops on the impact of programs and initiatives to address addressing gender-based violence. The findings are derived from research that is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and was carried out between February and August 2022. The target population was women survivors of GBV  who had received care and support from the Gender-Based Violence Recovery Centre (GBVRC) at Makueni County Referral Hospital.

The dissemination workshop aimed at providing valuable research insights into the effectiveness of Rescue, Recovery, and Rehabilitation Programs (RRRPs) implemented by State and non-state actors in helping women survivors recover from GBV. It also sought to document the significance of GBV as a constraint to women’s work and survivors’ economic empowerment in the recovery process. The purpose of this maiden workshop with Makueni County actors was to disseminate documented evidence on the nexus between GBV and WEE to enlisted representatives and discuss with them the gaps identified through the research. With the support from IPA, researchers will strategically share evidence-based findings with relevant stakeholders to inform National and County level policies currently under review and to explore ideas around embedded labs and a larger randomized evaluation.

SESSIONS:

• Opening remarks
  • Victoria Isika
• Presentations
  • County Gender Sector Working Group (CGSWG) report and GBV Situation in Makueni Country (Douglas Mukanda)
  • Kenyatta University Women’s Economic Empowerment Hub- (Dr. Pacificah Okemwa and Dr. Okumba Miruka)
  • Innovations for Poverty Actions - (Dr. Victoria Isika and Caroline Nyuguto)

To learn more about the study conducted by KU-WEE, read the blog post here.