Summary
The National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) ran a two-year project from 2023 to 2025 in Kajiado, Machakos and Nairobi counties to prevent gender-based violence (GBV), protect survivors and support their self-reliance and social reintegration. Over 219 government officials were trained in survivor-centred approaches, about 1,019 local actors were empowered to address GBV, and about 1,392 survivors, including women and children, were reached directly.
The project piloted a GBV-Free Smart Village in Kajiado, GBV-responsive school models in Machakos, and business-driven prevention approaches in Nairobi. It also supported the rehabilitation of the GBV Recovery Centre at Kajiado County Referral Hospital, which now offers free medical services to survivors, and a gender justice court system at Kajiado Law Court with dedicated GBV hearing days.
The brief draws lessons on cross-sector training, survivor-centred infrastructure, integrated services, women's empowerment, male engagement, schools, sports, business and urban planning. It notes that many interventions were pilots at limited scale and calls for institutionalisation, coordination across sectors and community ownership.
Key findings
- The NGEC–JICA project, implemented from 2023 to 2025 in Kajiado, Machakos and Nairobi counties, trained over 219 government officials in survivor-centred approaches, and each participant was confirmed to have taken at least one tangible step to improve survivor protection, case management or reintegration.
- Approximately 1,019 individuals, including transport officers, students, religious and traditional leaders, local influencers, women's group leaders and private sector representatives, were empowered to address GBV in their roles and communities.
- The project directly reached approximately 1,392 GBV survivors, including women and children, through mutual support groups, capacity strengthening, economic empowerment and male engagement activities.
- In Kajiado's GBV-Free Smart Village initiative, women reduced time spent on household chores by an average of three hours per day and earned an average of KES 1,500 per month, with some reporting KES 6,000 to 10,000 monthly.
- In Machakos County, counselling rooms, the Life Board Game and the Anti-GBV Karate Program led to a notable increase in GBV reporting by students; Mumbuni Primary School reported receiving 18 reports.
- Following project training, the GBV Recovery Centre at Kajiado County Referral Hospital now offers free medical services to survivors, who previously had to cover part of the costs, and the upgraded facility can also serve male survivors.
- Kajiado Law Court set up a GBV registry desk, designated Tuesdays and Thursdays for GBV hearings and appointed a judicial officer to preside over them, strengthening coordination with the Kajiado GBV Recovery Centre.
- The Innovate Against GBV ideathon and business contest produced business ideas including a survivor support mobile app, a menstrual hygiene enterprise, a transport safety platform with verified drivers and a biofuel business employing survivors.
Recommendations
- Invest in cross-sector, survivor-centred capacity building for sectors such as education, transport, agriculture, infrastructure and public administration, and for community leaders, using participatory methods like field visits, peer exchanges and simulations.
- Design shelters and GBV Recovery Centres around survivor needs, including separate entry and exit points, shielded reception areas, child-friendly spaces, kitchens and on-site security.
- Integrate medical, psychosocial, legal, police and economic support, and link shelters with vocational training institutions, career counsellors and ICT tools such as remote court access.
- Institutionalise community platforms such as women's forums and support women-led structures like savings groups, embedding them in local governance.
- Promote practical, accountable male engagement in which men and male leaders develop and implement their own action plans.
- Institutionalise school-based GBV prevention in national and county education systems through curricula, reporting and referral protocols and continuous teacher training.
- Integrate sports-based methods into psychosocial support for survivors, with trauma-informed, gender-responsive coaching guidelines and trained facilitators.
- Build an enabling ecosystem for GBV-responsive businesses through mentorship, access to capital, incentives and Gender and Business modules, and embed GBV prevention in infrastructure and urban planning policies.
How the study was done
The report is a policy brief by the NGEC–JICA GBV Elimination Project, dated 1 August 2025. It draws on the project's pilot interventions and experiences from 2023 to 2025, with testimonies from participants, and cites the 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey for background statistics. It does not describe a formal evaluation design or sample size.
Questions & answers
What was the NGEC–JICA GBV Elimination Project?
It was a joint project of the National Gender and Equality Commission and the Japan International Cooperation Agency, implemented for two years from 2023 to 2025 in Kajiado, Machakos and Nairobi counties. It aimed to prevent gender-based violence, protect survivors and support their self-reliance and social reintegration.
How many people did the project reach?
Over 219 government officials were trained in survivor-centred approaches, approximately 1,019 community and sector actors were empowered to address GBV, and approximately 1,392 GBV survivors, including women and children, were directly reached through support groups, economic empowerment and male engagement activities.
How common is gender-based violence in Kenya according to the report?
Citing the 2022 Demographic and Health Survey, the report states that 43% of women and girls aged 15 to 49 have experienced intimate partner violence and 13% have experienced sexual violence. It adds that approximately 65% of women report sexual harassment or violence in schools, workplaces or public spaces.
What is a GBV-Free Smart Village?
It is a model piloted in Kajiado County, including Orinie Village, combining GBV capacity building, peer support, literacy programmes, vegetable farming, solar lanterns and energy-saving stoves, plus male engagement. Women reduced chore time by an average of three hours daily and earned an average of KES 1,500 monthly.
How did schools help prevent GBV in the project?
In Machakos County, schools set up counselling rooms, anti-GBV committees, clubs, the Life Board Game and an Anti-GBV Karate Program. These led to a notable increase in student GBV reporting. The report describes the school approach as highly cost-effective, needing mainly teacher training and basic materials.
How can businesses help eliminate GBV?
The project's Innovate Against GBV ideathon produced ideas such as a survivor support mobile app, a menstrual hygiene enterprise, a transport safety platform with verified drivers and a biofuel business employing survivors. The report recommends mentorship, access to capital, incentives and Gender and Business curriculum modules to support such enterprises.
What does the report recommend for GBV recovery centres and shelters?
It recommends survivor-centred design with separate entry and exit points, shielded reception areas, child-friendly spaces, kitchens and on-site security. It also recommends integrating medical, psychosocial, legal and economic support and linking shelters with vocational training institutions so survivors can reintegrate and become self-reliant.
