Background

According to the Global Database of Violence Against Women (GDVAW), around 40% of women are at risk of experiencing GBV, which means that women and girls aged 15-49 undergo sexual violence at least once in their lifetime. The studies by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics(KNBS) showed that 23.6 percent of Kenyans have witnessed or heard cases of domestic violence in their communities since COVID-19 containment measures were put in place, while the national GBV Hotline 1195 received 810 cases in September 2020 alone. This set of data indicates that it is becoming an aggressive problem within society and is especially worrying because most cases of GBV are not formally reported, meaning the incidences could be much worse than what is reported. Furthermore, according to the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS), 42% of Kenyans of both genders still believed that wife-beating was acceptable under certain circumstances, and one in five Kenyan males have experienced an episode of sexual violence before attaining age 18 (Kenya VAC 2010).

This also means that intimate partner violence is tolerated in some instances and that bystanders may not intervene in such scenarios even if a victim is crying out for help. The government has responded to this by adopting a gender-based violence indicator to ensure the policies and framework put in place in 2014 are properly working. They have also initiated gender desks in police stations and recovery centers in major hospitals. While this is a big move, it is still yet to incorporate youth more actively and creatively in the process of ending GBV and is not aggressive when it comes to taking advantage of virtual media networks where a majority of the population engages daily.

Project summary

Our approach is an effective mass communication module of a community addressing its challenges from its perspective or understanding of the problem at play using artistic activism and capacity building.

Overall objective: 

To accelerate the fight against gender-based violence through collaborative efforts between both women and men through artistic activism, digital media, and capacity building as a means of empowering the masses with information, thus shifting the power balance in Nairobi, Makueni, Isiolo, Kajiado, and Laikipia counties in Kenya.