African Woman and Child Feature Service

The Launch of the Gender-Based Violence Recovery Centre by Kenyatta National Hospital  and other stakeholders is a milestone for Kenyan women who have been suffering silently without knowing where to seek suport and treatment after sexual violation.

The establishment  of the centre is very unique, as it is the first of its kind that offers a comprehensive approach to the management of women and girls who have been sexually violated. And the fact that it will be used by medical specialists and other experts as a teaching centre on an issue that continue to trouble many Kenyans, is reassuring.

For the two years the centre has been running, it has proved that partnership in dealing with Gender Based Violence is critical. The partnership between the Kenyatta Hospital,  COVAW, Cradle and Liverpool VCT, storngly indicates that management of  violence against women is an issue that requires a multi-faceted approach.

The fact that something is being done to address the impact of Sexual and Gender Based Violence from a phsychological, medical, legal and support, is in itself  a consolation to the fact that Kenyan women have hope of seeing another day with a smile on their face.

This point was driven home by  artists  Ingrid Mwangi- a Kenyan German whose work has been cited by the International Museum for Women where she refers her art as the body as a political weapon.

At no time in the Kenyan history this fact was more evident than during the post election crisis where many women became victims of sexual violence and many could  not get access to hospitals for help because of the insecurity that engulfed the country. The women bodies were also turned into a battle ground. Even though the Nairobi Women’s Hospital with  other NGOs set up clinics in the camps, they could not reach and cope with the majority of women.

And the fact that  women in rural areas might not have the information  and cannot get the services whenever they are need, still makes  the work around Sexual and Gender Based Violence challenging. One can argue that at times there is need to proactively approach the violence from a rights point of view.

Unless everyone can be empowered with information on violence no matter which form they are represented, unless women can access the services and unless they are economically empowered, case of violence will continue. If this does not happen, as a country we will be dealign with the impact rather than looking at the root causes of the problem.

Therefore for such an initiative as the Gender-Based Violence recovery centre to make an impact, there is need to  take the services  to where the women are: the rural areas. Maybe  having every two week a mobile van that goes around villages in the country can have an impact and might just bring out the magnitude of the problem.

Even though there are private hopsitals that offer comprehensive post sexual violence care services namely, Lilly, Shalom, Nairobi women’s Hopsital, it is only the Coast General Hospital that is a public one besides KNH that also offer such kind of services.

Department of Reproductive Health  under the Ministry of Medical Services have also said  that they have a major plan to take the services to provincial and district hospitals, it is hoped that such an initiative will be combined with  training of the nurses  in the area of trauma, counselling and collection and prevention of evidence.

The other is handling of children who have been sexually violated and make sure that they receive adequate support and treament. The nurses should also be trained on how to administer Post Exposure Prophylaxis which are usually given to rape victims  before the 72 hours to prevent them from being infdected  with the the HIV virus.

However, the baby steps that have been taken by the organisatioins dealing with the Post rape care is an indication that various stakeholders are joining hands to address  sexual and gender based violence in our communities.

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