Makueni County Government in partnership with the Nairobi Women’s Hospital on Wednesday unveiled a Gender Violence Recovery Centre(GVRC) to bolster efforts towards prevention and response of gender and sexual violence.
The GVRC established at the Makueni County Referral Hospital will offer comprehensive free medical treatment and pyschosocial support to survivors of physical,sexual emotional and psychological abuse.
Speaking at the launch Makueni Deputy Governor Adelina Mwau said the GVRC was occasioned by the unprecedented increase on the number of gender and sexual violence cases against women and young girls in the county.
The deputy governor noted that for the last one year more than 216 cases of gender based violence had been reported while 39 percent of school girls within the county had been sexually abused with many cases going unreported.
“Many victims of gender and sexual violence do not report the abuse due to shame and fear of reprisal from the perpetrators, the GVRC will therefore be a safe haven for the survivors to bring meaning to their lives and their families ,” she added.
Executive Director Nairobi Women’s Hospital Sam Thenya applauded the county government’s commitment to establish the GVRC and urged other counties to set up similar centres.
Thenya said Nairobi Women’s Hospital will collaborate with the county government to ensure success of the initiative.
“Makueni is the first county to establish a GVRC and we shall partner and establish a framework that will help in strengthening,coordinating,
He also underscored the need to recruit men in the fight against GBV.
Nominated MP Cecily Mbarire who was the chief guest said the national government was at the fore front at stepping up the fight against GBV through enactment of laws to protect women and children.
She outlined the Marriage act,Children’s act and Prevention Against Domestic Violence act as some of the laws that have put in place to progressively fight GBV.
Mbarire called for collaboration between relevant stakeholders to prevent GBV and called on married couples to live in harmony.
“The fight against against GBV should not be a preserve of anyone but every body in the society should be involved in the fight,” added the legislator.
Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana reitariated his government’s commitment to the fight and prevention of GBV and urged men to shun from abusing their wives.
“Men are the main perpetrators’ of GBV and I call upon them to stop,” he said.
The governor said his government will involve community committees to monitor and report GBV cases and ensure that perpetrators face justice.
Others who graced the launch were Nairobi County Speaker Beatrice Elachi and Makueni Women Representative Rose Museo.