End the Silence. Break the Cycle. Reclaim Your Power.
Gender-Based Violence (GBV) remains one of the most urgent human rights and public health crises in Kenya. In Western Kenya, women and girls experience disproportionately high rates of:
- Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)
- Sexual and gender-based violence
- Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C)
- Early and forced marriage
These violations undermine safety, dignity, health, education, and economic participation—trapping survivors and communities in cycles of trauma and poverty.
PALAWAMA’s GBV Prevention and Response Program applies a holistic, survivor-centered model that prioritizes safety, confidentiality, dignity, and justice. We mobilize communities, strengthen institutions, and ensure survivors receive comprehensive, coordinated support.
Core Interventions – A Comprehensive Approach
| Action Area | What It Looks Like in Action |
| 1. Community Awareness & Behavior Change | Large-scale community outreach, barazas, school-based education, radio programming, edutainment campaigns, and male engagement initiatives that challenge harmful gender norms, myths, and silence around GBV. |
| 2. Survivor Support & Safe Spaces | Confidential safe spaces, trauma-informed psychosocial counseling, medical referrals, emergency shelter, and individualized case management that supports healing, recovery, and reintegration. |
| 3. Legal Aid & Access to Justice | Pro-bono legal representation, police station and court accompaniment, survivor-centered case documentation, and training of community paralegals and justice champions. |
| 4. Policy Advocacy & Systems Strengthening | Collaboration with county governments to enforce the Sexual Offences Act and Protection Against Domestic Violence Act, strengthen referral pathways, and influence GBV-responsive budgeting. |
Program Impact
- Increased GBV reporting rates driven by improved trust in survivor support systems
- Higher issuance of protection orders and successful legal prosecutions
- Documented reduction in FGM/C prevalence in target communities
- Thousands of women, men, youth, and leaders engaged in prevention dialogues
- Strong referral networks linking health facilities, police, courts, and PALAWAMA services
Why This Program Matters in Kenya
GBV in Kenya is perpetuated by stigma, harmful cultural norms, and weak institutional response mechanisms. PALAWAMA’s community-led, rights-based approach ensures survivors are protected while communities themselves become active agents of prevention and accountability.
Get Involved
- Volunteer: Train as a community paralegal or GBV awareness champion
- Donate: Support safe spaces, counseling services, and legal defense for survivors
- Partner: Collaborate on advocacy, prevention, and systems reform initiatives
Why Partner with PALAWAMA
- Deep-rooted community presence across Western Kenya
- Survivor-centered, rights-based programming
- Proven impact across nine counties
- Strong partnerships with government and civil society
- Integrated approach linking safety, economic power, and leadership
PALAWAMA is not just changing lives—we are transforming systems, shifting norms, and rewriting futures.
