REPUBLIC OF KENYA

THE PRESIDENCY

Ministry of Public Service, Gender and Youth Affairs

State Department of Gender Affairs

PRESS STATEMENT

SIGNING OF THE GOK/UN JOINT PROGRAM ON PREVENTION AND RESPONSE TO GENDER BASED VIOLENCE BY THE CABINET SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF PUBLIC SERVICE, YOUTH AND GENDER AFFAIRS AND THE UN RESIDENT COORDINATOR

APRIL 21^st 2017, Sicily Kariuki (Mrs.), EGH Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs and Mr. Siddharth Chatterjee, UN Resident Coordinator in Kenya today are signing the program document on the 4-year GOK/UN Joint Program on Prevention and Response to Gender Based Violence Program (2017-2020) with an approximate budget of USD. 11.5 Million.

The Joint GOK/UN Program on Prevention and Response to Gender Based Violence Program was officially launched by H.E. The First Lady Margaret Kenyatta on 8^th March, 2017.

The government of Kenya has prioritized prevention of and response to Gender Based Violence program through the Second Mid Term Plan (MTP II, 2013-2017). In 2014, the government launched the National Policy for Prevention and Response to Gender Based Violence, which seeks to strengthen existing GBV-related policies, laws and action plans as well as to enhance the coordination and effectiveness of GBV initiatives.

To accelerate this noble effort to effectively eliminate GBV, the Government in partnership with the United Nations developed a joint program on Prevention and Response to Gender Based Violence. Th purpose of the program is to put in place a well-coordinated multi-sectoral approach bringing together all relevant stakeholders to combat GBV.

1. Statistics indicate that Gender Based Violence occurs in all parts of the country as captured in the Kenya Demographic and Household Survey (KDHS) report of 2014 which shows that:
2. 47% of women and 40% of men aged between 15 and 49 reported that they have experienced either physical or sexual violence
3. 45% and 44% of men aged between 14 and 49 have experienced physical violence
4. 14% of women and 6% of men aged between 14 and 49 reports having experienced sexual violence at last once in their lifetime.
5. 39% of ever married women and 9% of men aged 15 and 49 reports having experienced spousal physical or sexual violence.
6. National prevalence of FGM is 21%

The Joint GOK/UN Program on Prevention and Response to Gender Based Violence Program will focus on five pillars of Prevention, Protection, Prosecution, Programming and Partnership all of which are interlinked and underpinned by strong coordination, communication, advocacy, innovation, leveraging on ICT and policy dialogue at national and county level.

The Joint GOK/UN Gender Based Violence Program will among other initiatives, support development and adoption of requisite policy, enactment of pertinent legislations, provision of technical support and capacity building of service providers advocacy campaigners and creation of awareness.

The Joint GOK/UN Gender Based Violence Program will be coordinated under the Ministry of public service, Youth and Gender Affairs in partnership with the United Nations, with 14 participating UN agencies, development partners and civil society.

The government of Kenya is thus committed to ensuring that Gender-based violence will no longer be a wide spread and socially tolerated form of human rights violation in the county.