This year, the global theme for the 16 Days of Activism is From Peace in the Home to Peace in the World: Let's Challenge Militarism and End Violence Against Women! This year's campaign marks the fourth year of advocacy, highlighting the intersections of gender-based violence and militarism.  The Kenyan theme "Working with the police to end Gender Based Violence: From peace at home to peace in the community", takes into account the prevailing situation in Kenya on the intersections between the police, community and GBV.   

I am deeply honored to participate in the launch of this year's 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence. Gender Based Violence against women, men, girls and boys largely remains hidden in a culture of silence; hence it is necessary to give the fight against Gender Based Violence a voice through such platforms as these. 

The UNFPA Executive Director, Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin stated in his address on the occasion of this Day that: "Violence against women and girls is a violation of their fundamental human rights, an affront to human dignity and a serious threat to their health and well-being.  It impedes their civic engagement and role in development; it generates instability and makes peace harder to achieve"

This year, the global theme for the 16 Days of Activism is From Peace in the Home to Peace in the World: Let's Challenge Militarism and End Violence Against Women! This year's campaign marks the fourth year of advocacy, highlighting the intersections of gender-based violence and militarism.  The Kenyan theme "Working with the police to end Gender Based Violence: From peace at home to peace in the community", takes into account the prevailing situation in Kenya on the intersections between the police, community and GBV.   

Globally as many as one in every three women has been beaten, coerced into sex or abused in some other way - most often, by someone she knows. One woman in four has been abused during pregnancy. One in five women worldwide will become a victim of rape or attempted rape in her lifetime and the majority of sexual assault victims are young girls. 700,000 to two million women and girls are trafficked across international borders annually. When you include figures on domestic trafficking, that could bring the total to four million. The last Kenya Demographic and Health Survey reported a GBV prevalence rate of 37 percent and a Female Genital Mutilation prevalence rate of 27 percent for Kenya. GBV in Kenya is a pervasive practice that debilitates men and women, boys and girls. 

However, our collective efforts on GBV in Kenya in preceding years have borne fruit.  Kenya now has a progressive constitution with laws that respond to Female Genital Mutilation, Sexual Offenses and Human Trafficking. Kenya also boasts a GBV framework for prevention and response,a GBV policy currently under development amongst other progressive legislation.  However in order for this legislation to be effectively implemented much support is required from communities and law enforcement agents.

The responsibility of upholding the law in the prevention and response to GBV lies with multiple actors but primarily, the responsibility rests with the community and with the police. The police need to play a more active role in preventing and responding to GBV in the community but they need to be empowered in order to do so. 

Firstly, as mentioned before, Kenya has a robust legislation to address the issue of GBV, so the legal tools that the police need to act on GBV are already in place. 

Secondly, the police need to be trained on how to adequately and sensitively respond to GBV survivors.  The nature of GBV requires that its survivors be treated in a specialized and sensitive way, and the police have to have their capacity built in order to fulfill this function fully.  UNFPA, UNWomen, UNODC along with other partners have been supporting the Government of Kenya's efforts on training the police on the Prohibition of FGM Act and the Sexual Offenses Act, including mainstreaming gender in the police curriculum and training them to provide a survivor centered response to GBV survivors. 

Thirdly, the police work on GBV needs to be adequately resourced in such a manner that the police can be proactive in addressing GBV issues.

Fourthly, the public has a responsibility to aid the police in the protection of their communities. The community is the first line of defense for GBV. Communities have a responsibility to protect children, men and women from GBV.   Practically, the community can assist in prevention and response for GBV, in tandem with the police on evidence collection and preservation, awareness raising, protecting survivors and in not shielding the perpetrators from the full brunt of the law.

A great example of the police working closely with Communities to address GBV is Rwanda. The Rwanda police force boasts a resourced Gender Violence desk with specially trained police officers who advise on addressing and responding to GBV.  The desk also boasts a hotline that the public can dial in to, to report cases of GBV. This in turn, has strengthened efforts in collection of evidence on GBV with stronger cases presented in court and will hopefully lead to higher rates of prosecution and lower attrition in GBV cases.  Kenya can also hopefully make the idea of resourced Police Gender Units a reality.

 Finally, the UN Security Council adopted resolution 1325 on women and peace and security on 31 October 2000. The resolution reaffirms the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, peace negotiations, peace-building, peacekeeping, humanitarian response and in post-conflict reconstruction and stresses the importance of their equal participation and full involvement in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security.

Addressing violence against women and girls must be given greater priority at all levels. The need for greater political commitment remains, as does the need for more resources.  Strong, sustained leadership and political will are required to uphold and advocate for this issue in the policy arena. This is not just an issue for women and girls; it is an issue of concern for everyone, communities, the police, the politicians and civil society, alike. There must be accountability for human rights violations and concrete steps to end impunity and everyone needs to be involved. The 16 Days of Activism against GBV is an annual rallying call to the government, the politicians and the people of Kenya that Gender Based Violence needs to be addressed adequately and urgently.

In concluding, I would like to congratulate the organizers of this today's important event.  I wish all the success to common fight against gender based Violence.  Let us all work to make peace in our homes and communities become a reality. In doing so we will contribute to building a better world for ourselves and our children!