By Fredrick Odiero
Plan International has called on duty bearers and other interest groups to take the lead in eliminating Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) in learning institutions within Kisumu County.
The organization Program Manager Mr. Douglas Ongoro further called on duty bearers to focus on creating awareness and sensitizing communities on their role in curbing the vice and offer requisite support to survivors in their localities.
Speaking in Kisumu during a sensitization forum, Ongoro urged them to focus more on prevention, protection and responses.
The official stated that the purpose of the forum was to engage stakeholders on a strategic insight that describes pathways of change adopted to prevent, mitigate, and respond to SGBV by actors.
“This comes in view of the 2019 SGBV policy that is currently under review.” he said.
He said the training also emphasized decision-making in preventing and responding to SGBV issues through the provision of comprehensive services to survivors as well as strengthening community-based responses and referral networks, training provided opportunities for identifying implementation gaps and challenges in the prevention and response to SGBV in the County.
Ongoro indicated that the workshop brought together officers from various disciplines including Gender, Social Development, ICT and Education to embrace a multi-sectoral approach and strengthen coordination among service providers and referral systems.
“The objective of the training is to engage in the rights-based approach, the survivor-centered approach, community-based protection, and the Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) approach,” he added.
The participants fronted for eliminating barriers in SGBV prevention and response in addition to scaling up advocacy efforts, sensitization of the community and authorities and the establishment an integrated data information system with the help of ICT, strengthening multi-sectoral structures and introducing a digital data collection system that produces real-time data.
The group also called for resource mobilization towards safe houses and the recruitment and training of more champions.
They want visibility, petitioning County assembly, the provision of a Monitoring and evaluation system based on standard operations, media awareness, and formulation of the SGBV Bill.
