Vihiga county government has launched Sexual Gender Based Violence and the Children Protection policies in a bid to foster the welfare of the targeted segments of the society.
The County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Social services, Sports and Culture Anne Desma, said the two policies lay the legal framework for resolving the rampant gender-based abuse cases in the county, as well as ensuring child neglect, abandonment and molestation are brought to an end.
Desma stated that they are going to collaborate with partners and other stakeholders to ensure that the perpetrators are made to pay for their actions while the victims get justice.
She pointed out that they intend to leverage a multisectoral approach to realize a comprehensive, accessible and sustainable campaign against gender-related abuse and that the children are protected from all manner of predators.
“The county administration is going to ensure that the people are made aware of their rights and guided as to how to go about seeking justice in case they are aggrieved,” she said at the function held at the county headquarters in Vihiga.
Vihiga Acting County Commissioner (CC) Florence Sitawa, called for concerted efforts in the advocacy for fighting gender-based violence in the communities.
She discouraged the residents from resorting to solving matters informally, adding that doing so often denies the victims justice as the perpetrators go scot-free.
By Sammy Mwibanda