The Government of Kenya through the Ministry of Public Service Gender signed a GOK/UN Joint Program on the Prevention and Response to Gender Based Violence. The 4-year GOK/UN Joint Program will run from 2017-2020 and has an approximate budget of USD. 11.5 Million. The joint GOK/UN Joint  Programme was signed on April 21^st, 2017 between the then Cabinet Secretary in charge of the Ministry of Public Service and Gender Mrs. Sicily Kariuki, and the UN Resident Coordinator in Kenya, Mr. Siddharth Chatterjee.

The Joint Programme was conceived by the State Department for Gender Affairs and the UN Technical Team on Gender Based Violence after the realization that despite the sustained efforts by the Government and Non-State Actors to address GBV, it still remains pervasive. The rise in GBV incidences can be attributed to the absence of strong prevention interventions, weak protection mechanisms for survivors, evasive prosecution of GBV cases, and an uncoordinated response to GBV from State and non-state actors.

The purpose of the program is to put in place a well-coordinated multi-sectoral approach that brings together all relevant stakeholders to combat Gender Based Violence in the country.

The Joint GOK/UN Program on Prevention and Response to Gender Based Violence Program was officially launched by H.E. the First Lady of the Republic of Kenya, Mrs. Margaret Kenyatta on the 8^th of March 2017 during the International Women’s Day celebrations.

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 and Gender in partnership with the United Nations, with 14 participating UN agencies, Development Partners and the Civil Society.