The civil society in Siaya is calling for strong follow-up mechanisms to help curb the increasing rate of gender-based violence targeting widows.
According to the civil society organisations, there were still a lot of gaps that need to be addressed by both county and national government officials if the widows and other vulnerable members of the society were to enjoy their constitutional given rights.
Speaking at Ukwala, Ugenya sub county during an event to mark the 30 years of the Beijing declaration and platform for action, Siaya Muungano Network program officer, Hillay Omondi said widows’ rights violations were still rampant in the county much as the CSOs and other stakeholders have continued to strengthen advocacy campaigns against it.
Omondi challenged both the national and county governments to embrace a coordinated approach together with the civil society in a bid to strengthen the follow – up mechanisms.
“We need to strengthen the referral pathways with the community” he said adding “if the widows cannot understand the referral pathways, starting from the village elder to the assistant chief all the way to judiciary, then we will still continue talking about violations.”
He called on the Siaya county assembly to speed up the passing of a legislation that will protect widows.
“As a county, we have struggled to put in place a legislation that will protect widows within the county. It is however still pending in the assembly” he said adding “our hope is that once we have the legislation, even the county government will put in place measures, including resources, to protect and support social and economic wellbeing of our widows”.
Addressing the occasion, the coordinator of the Free Pentecostal Fellowship of Kenya’s (FPFK) widows project, Dorothy Muga lamented that GBV against widows were still rampant in the area despite campaigns by various organisations.
Muga called on the community to stop retrogressive cultural practices that deny widows right over the property of their deceased husbands.
Nelly Odipo and Sophia Awino Odhiambo lamented that widows from families stuck in Luo tradition were having it rough with their mothers and brothers in law who even stop them from cultivating land.
“It becomes worse when it comes to land issues as some brothers in law go the extent of putting up a homestead in your husband’s land without consultation,” said Nelly Odipo, a widow from Lung’a in Sifuyo West sub location.
Odipo however said that the introduction of a widow’s project by the FPFK in the area has opened the eyes of most of them who can now confidently walk into government offices to demand for intervention.
By Philip Onyango