Blog Archives - Page 2 of 5 - Coalition on Violence against Women -COVAW

Women’s Agency and Violence against Women: The Case of the Coalition on Violence Against Women in Kenya

ABSTRACT: Violence against women and girls has been acknowledged as a violation of basic human rights and a form of discrimination against women, reflecting the prevalent imbalance of power between women and men. This is because violence against women and girls is a universal phenomenon that is both a cause and consequence of gender inequality. … Read more

Telling signs of abuse

With the increase of the number of cases of abuse it is very important to know and to identify signs of abuse. They are quite general and most of the times are not indicative of abuse. However, should you see someone showing the following signs, please find out what could be troubling them; 1. The … Read more

Judiciary, do more for mentally challenged sexual abuse victims

There is a group of girls and women in Kenya who go through all manner of abuse and stigma with little help. They get violated, abused and stripped of their dignity by the society — including by those close to them.
There are innumerable cases of women and girls, and boys, with mental disabilities who have been subjected to sexual abuse but cannot access justice due to all manner of obstacles and crazy court rulings.

Welcome Our New Executive Director

Wairimu Munyinyi-Wahome is an advocacy and policy specialist, with over 16 years of international experience, including in Namibia, Somaliland, Sierra Leone and, more recently in Kenya. In these countries, Wairimu has served in various roles including Advocacy Advisor, Mainstreaming Coordinator with Concern Worldwide, Country Advocacy Manager with Oxfam where she also briefly served as an … Read more

Violence against women and girls should not be business as usual

It is very heart-breaking to realize that violence against women and children is becoming a recurring trend in Kenya. Every day in the dailies and in the news there is that one report about violence meted out on a woman or a child. On Thursday, 14th June 2018, Doreen, a student of Nairobi Institute of … Read more

The Day of The African Child

On the 16th of June 2018, COVAW and the National Council for Children’s Services will commemorate the Day of the African Child in Menzamwenye, Lunga Lunga Sub-County, Kwale County. This year’s theme is ‘Leave No Child Behind for Africa’s Development’. We are going to talk on issues about FGM/C, SGBV, Child Trafficking and Child Sexual … Read more

Ignored by State at Home, Feted by the World Abroad

By L. Muthoni Wanyeki Enough has been said about what the national honours given out on Jamhouri Day were meant to signify. The state has lost sight of the purpose that such honours are meant to serve. To remind us of the value of living up to and advancing the best part of ourselves. To … Read more

2007/08 Post Election Violence Sexual and Gender Based Violence Public Interest Litigation Case Project

The goal of this project is to secure redress for and provide psychosocial support and assistance to Sexual and Gender Based Violence victims and survivors of the 2007/08 Post Election Violence. The violence that was experienced in the aftermath of the 2007 general elections was indeed some of the worst violence experienced in post-independence Kenya. Kenya was riddled with carnage which, at the least, may only be described as horrific: 1,500 dead, over 3,000 innocent women raped, and an estimated 650,000 people left internally displaced.

Intellectually Challenged Women and Girls Project- Nairobi and Kiambu

The project’s overall goal is to enhance access to justice for intellectually challenged victims and survivors of Sexual and Gender Based Violence through integrated legal and psychosocial support service provision.This is achieved vide: direct legal aid and psychosocial support provision to victims and survivors of Sexual and Gender Based Violence, with a specific focus on the especially vulnerable class of intellectually challenged women and girls; enhancement of the already existing pro-bono lawyers’ scheme; engagement in community-, national-, regional- and international-level advocacy efforts towards motioning for legislative and policy reform,

The Sexual and Reproductive Health, Maanda Project- Narok

The SRH is a 3year project implemented by COVAW in 3 sub counties of Narok (South North and East) This project addresses gender inequalities aligned with the National Gender and Equality Commission’s Roadmap.

Community dialogues are held aimed at changing the imbalance of power in the communities using COVAW’s SASA model; religious leaders engaged through the Faith For Life Model; and local leaders supported to enforce anti-FGM and child protection laws; support services for SGBV are strengthened through training paralegals in villages and health facilities, law enforcers, teachers and other service providers; innovative ways are explored to reverse roles of TBAs on FGM,and promote alternative rites of passage for girls.