Sexual & Gender-Based Violence
What is Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV)? Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) refers to any act that is perpetrated against a person’s will and is based on gender norms and unequal power relationships.
It includes any form of a non-consensual sexual act, attempt to forcefully obtain a sexual act, unwanted sexual comments or advances, or acts to traffic women’s sexuality, using coercion, threats of harm or physical force, by any person regardless of relationship to the survivor, in any setting, including but not limited to home and work. Six core SGBV types include, rape, sexual assault, physical assault, forced marriage, denial of resources/opportunities or services and psychological and emotional abuse. Response Services SGBV response services include medical treatment (ideally within 72 hours of the incident), psychosocial support, provision of physical security, provision of safe spaces and legal assistance. Security is provided to SGBV survivors by the national police in collaboration with UNHCR and partners and the survivor following a joint safety assessment; which may include admission into a safe space within the camps or in the community in urban areas for a limited period of time. Other social services extended to SGBV survivors include community-based peer support, mentorship programmes for girls and boys, provision of dignity and menstrual hygiene management (MHM) kits and livelihood support as a mitigation measure against further violence. Note: all service providers must adhere to strict confidentiality. How to seek help or report concerns You can report SGBV incidents at the nearest hospital or police station, UNHCR. DRC, IRC, TDH, LWF, HI, or any agency in the camps after which you will be advised and/or referred to appropriate and confidential response services. In the urban areas, approach HIAS or NCCK. Survivors of SGBV can access or seek assistance from the following hotlines/contacts 1195 -National GBV hotline 1190 – Counselling hotline 1517 – UNHCR toll-free number 0800720309 – Danish Refugee Council (DRC) toll- free number 0800-720600 -Telecounselling AMANI counselling Center 0790781359 – CVT 0770451236 / 0777784009- HIAS 0704-873342 -NCCK Health coordinator 1196 – Childline 0711400506 – MSF hotline 0800720121 – LVCT toll-free number 999 / 112 – Kenya police emergency hotline Below are the key agencies focal persons to support on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) cases and referrals: Refugee Affairs Secretariat (RAS) Evans Pasua (Community-Based Protection Officer) Tel.: 722391379 E-mail: pasuaevans@go.ke HIAS David Mwamkita (Gender and GBV Manager) Tel.: 731747417 E-mail: david.mwakita@hias.org Center for Victims of Torture (CVT) Nancy Mwikali (Councelling supervisor) Tel.: 790406423 E-mail: nmwikali@cvt.org Refugee Consortium of Kenya (RCK) Lenah Moenga (Legal consultant: Legal and Psychosocial Programme) Tel.: 734788590 E-mail: lenah@rckkenya.org HESED Euphemia Anyango (Project Office GBV) Tel.: 781010809 E-mail: euanyango38@gmail.com Kituo Cha Sheria Caroline Wanjiku Kamau (Legal officer) Tel.: 708083388 E-mail: kamaucarol22@gmail.com RefuShe Joseph Nyage (Community Outreach Manager) Tel.: 725405102 E-mail: jmurimi@RefuShe.org