Homa Bay County is Putting Hope into Action to Tackle Gender-Based Violence
This article is part of the 16 Days Against Gender-Based Violence campaign, 2023
In March 2023, Homa Bay County in Kenya launched its first Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Policy to address the high incidences of SGBV (Sexual and Gender Based Violence). Practical Action Kenya and other partners contributed to the development of the policy, making Homa Bay among the few counties with such a policy. Practical Action supported the policy development after noting that SGBV is a key barrier hindering women from participating in its initiatives to create decent livelihoods for young people. We spoke with Everlyne Ododa, Homa Bay County’s Director of Gender, to shed more light about the policy and how it supports efforts to tackle SGBV.
Tell us about yourself.
I am a clinical officer with qualifications in clinical medicine and surgery, sexual and reproductive health, sociology, and anthropology. I am pursuing a master’s degree in public health. I have worked in different capacities as a clinical officer, mentor and technical advisor for adolescents and children in HIV programmes. I am married with three children, all adolescents. I have a passion for working with women and adolescents in ensuring their wellbeing. I love singing and making friends.
Please tell us about your role as Director of Gender.
I coordinate gender and women empowerment activities within Homa Bay County. This includes leading the development and implementation of gender-responsive policies and budgets. Specifically, I oversee the implementation of the SGBV Policy among stakeholders in the county. Women form 52% of the county’s population. They need support to take their rightful place in Homa Bay alongside men, girls, and boys.
How prevalent is Sex and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in Homa Bay?
SGBV is a grave human rights violation that causes long-term and life-threatening harm to victims. According to the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS 2022), 54% of women in the county aged 15-49 have experienced physical violence. This is among the highest in Kenya, with the national average being 34%. Meanwhile, 23% of women have experienced sexual violence while teenage pregnancy stands at 23%, above the national level of 15%. SGBV is linked to the high HIV infection rates and teen pregnancies in Homa Bay.
What is driving SGBV in Homa Bay?
The key factors are poverty and harmful cultural practices. Poverty makes women and girls more vulnerable to sexual and physical exploitation and violence. Women with disabilities from poor backgrounds are particularly vulnerable. They are lured, tricked, or forced into harmful relationships through promises and threats of getting or being deprived of money, jobs, and other economic advantages. For instance, teenage girls who cannot afford basic needs like sanitary towels are often lured into illicit sexual relationships leading to teenage pregnancy and early child marriage. In Homa Bay, some women fish merchants are forced to engage in sex with fishermen to receive preferential treatment when the daily fish catch is brought in from the lake.
In addition, cultural norms, or beliefs fuel SGBV since in some places, any teen who gets pregnant is forced into early marriage. The norms also hide SGBV perpetrators by encouraging arbitration of SGBV cases out of court and within families and communities. This denies survivors justice. Also, in Luo culture in Homa Bay, men suffering SGBV are less likely to report to authorities since they are considered superior to women by virtue of roles defined by the community.
Homa Bay County recently developed an SGBV policy. Please tell us what it is all about.
We officially launched the policy in March of 2023 year to guide our efforts to prevent and respond to SGBV affecting women, men, girls, and boys. SGBV not only violates human rights but also hampers productivity, reduces human capital, and undermines economic growth within the County. The policy aims to address the root causes of SGBV including harmful cultural norms. It also provides a response framework to ensure survivors receive medical, legal, and psychosocial support. It also recognizes the need to strengthen the justice system and enhance partnerships to tackle SGBV. We are looking forward to collaboration and partnership with other stakeholders to develop a law against SGBV. This will strengthen the implementation of the SGBV Policy.
What difference has the policy made so far in addressing SGBV since it was developed?
Overall, the policy has enhanced momentum of addressing SGBV in the county. Specifically, it has improved the awareness and reporting of SGBV incidences. Through the support of stakeholders, it has enhanced the protection of SGBV survivors and ensured perpetrators are brought to justice in court. The policy has also helped develop the capacity of health care workers and stakeholders in the management of SGBV survivors. In addition, it has reduced the timeline for resolving SGBV cases in court. We are currently engaged in community dialogue sessions across the county to raise awareness about the policy and strengthen its implementation.
What gives you hope regarding efforts to tackle SGBV in Homa Bay County?
There is strong political will and commitment to address the issue starting from our Governor Gladys Wanga, one of the few women Governors in Kenya and the first woman Governor of Homa Bay.