Generation Equality Forum (GEF)
Generation Equality is an international platform that seeks to accelerate the implementation of the gender equality commitments in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action of 1995 to achieve transformative change. It is convened by UN Women and co-hosted by the governments of Mexico and France. As part of the GEF process, Kenya is co-leading the Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Action Coalition, one of the GEF’s six Action Coalitions (ACs).
The Generation Equality Forum was launched in 2021, in Paris. Kenya is co-leading the Generation Equality Forum GBV Action Coalition, whereby, the country made 12 concrete commitments on ending all forms of GBV and FGM by 2026. The commitments are anchored on key pillars of: Financing; Leadership and Accountability, Laws and policies; Data; and Service Delivery.
Equality forum has identified six thematic areas and created Action Coalitions to that regard. The six Action Coalitions (ACs) include:
- Gender-Based Violence (GBV),
- Economic justice and rights,
- Bodily autonomy and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR),
- Feminist action for climate justice,
- Technology and innovation for Gender Equality, and
- Feminist movements and leadership.
Kenya chose to implement and report on the Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Action Coalition. Kenya is co-leading the Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Action Coalition alongside the U.K., Uruguay, and Iceland as member states;
THE 12 COMMITMENTS
The Government of Kenya made 12 commitments committing to take actions on ending all forms of GBV and FGM by 2026.
Commitment Number 1: Full implementation of Gender Based Violence (GBV) Laws and Policies by adopting a GBV Indicator in the government performance contracting framework by 2022.
Commitment Number 2: Investing USD 23 million for GBV prevention and response by 2022 and increasing resource allocation up to USD 50 million by 2026 through a co- financing model. Specifically, the Government of Kenya is to commit to sustaining the allocation of USD 2.79 million to GBV and FGM and incrementally work towards a minimum budget allocation of USD 5 million for the subsequent financial years and institute an accountability framework for tracking expenditure
Commitment Number 3: To ratify and implement the ILO Convention 190 on eliminating Gender Based Violence and Harassment in the world of work by 2026 in close partnership with the private sector.
Commitment Number 4: Introduction of a module on GBV in the 2022 Kenya Demographic Health Survey (KDHS) to strengthen the utilization of gender statistics in informing the design, scale-up, and evaluation of FGM and GBV programming.
Commitment Number 5: Developing a GBV management and information system by 2022 to strengthen GBV prevention and response programming.
Commitment Number 6: Invest Kshs.100 million annually for GBV research and innovation to boost evidence-based programming.
Commitment Number 7: Integrating GBV services - medical, legal, and psychological support services into the essential minimum package of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2022.
Commitment Number 8: Scaling up the National Police Service Integrated Response to GBV ‘(Policare)’ and establishing Gender-Based Violence Recovery Centers and shelters in all 47 counties.
Commitment Number 9: Establishing a GBV survivors fund through a co-financing model in partnership with the private sector, civil society, and other stakeholders for the economic empowerment of GBV survivors.
Commitment Number 10: GBV prevention and response in crisis situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic response, humanitarian contexts and electoral-related GBV.
Commitment Number 11: To strengthen collaboration with non-state actors including girl- led, women’s rights organizations, male champions, and the private sector through coordination structures such as the Gender Sector Working Groups at the national and county levels.
Commitment Number 12: Adoption and institutionalization of the multi-sectoral GEF Leadership structure comprising the National Advisory Committee, the National Steering Committee, and the county leadership structure to guide the implementation of Kenya’s GEF Commitments in the GBV Action Coalition up to 2026.
