An innovative educational tool designed to help learners recognise, report and respond to Gender-Based Violence (GBV) is set to strengthen prevention efforts in Kenyan schools following its official handover to Ms. Harriette Chiggai, signalling growing investment in survivor-centred approaches to child protection and safe learning environments.
The Empowerment Game for Women and Girls, jointly developed by the National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), uses interactive learning to educate children and young people about their rights, available protection mechanisms and the importance of seeking help when faced with violence or abuse.
Unlike conventional awareness campaigns, the learning tool places learners at the centre of prevention by presenting practical scenarios that encourage informed decisionmaking, confidence in reporting abuse and greater awareness of available support systems. The initiative seeks to make rights education more accessible while strengthening efforts to prevent violence before it occurs.
The handover represents an important milestone in the Commission's broader strategy of promoting preventive, survivorcentred interventions that complement existing legal, policy and institutional measures to eliminate Gender-Based Violence. Across Kenya, schools continue to play an increasingly important role in protecting children from violence while promoting environments where every learner can participate safely and realise their full potential. Education stakeholders have consistently identified awareness, early reporting and accessible referral pathways as critical components of effective child protection systems.
The Empowerment Game responds to this need by helping learners understand the different forms of Gender-Based Violence, recognise inappropriate behaviour, know where to seek assistance and appreciate that reporting violence is both safe and encouraged.
It also strengthens understanding of children's rights and reinforces the responsibility of schools and communities to provide safe spaces for learning. The innovation reflects the growing shift towards prevention within Kenya's national response to Gender-Based Violence. Rather than focusing solely on responding after abuse has occurred, institutions are increasingly investing in interventions that empower children with knowledge while strengthening protective environments within schools and communities.
The collaboration between NGEC and JICA also demonstrates the expanding role of innovation in advancing gender equality and safeguarding children's rights. By combining education, practical learning and survivorcentred principles, the initiative contributes to building school environments where learners are better informed, more confident in seeking support and less vulnerable to abuse.
For the National Gender and Equality Commission, the initiative aligns with its constitutional mandate to promote equality, protect vulnerable populations and eliminate discrimination through policy advocacy, public education and institutional partnerships. The Commission has continued to support interventions that strengthen prevention, accountability and access to justice for survivors of Gender-Based Violence.
