In Kenya, gender-based violence (GBV) is widespread and local prevention efforts and responses are often uneven. Kenya’s National Gender and Equality Commission and the Japan International Cooperation Agency jointly addressed this in Machakos County by strengthening education-sector responses – training teachers, introducing GBV‑responsive school policies, establishing anti‑GBV committees and safe counselling rooms, and engaging students through clubs and sport‑based prevention.
Elimination of Gender‑based Violence in Practice: JICA’s Experience in Kenya
Abstract
Globally, nearly 1 in 3 women experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, yet providers’ support to end violence against women and girls remains below 1% of total Official development assistance (ODA). In Kenya, GBV is widespread, rooted in gender inequality and harmful social norms. In 2022, 43% of women and girls aged between 15 and 49 experienced intimate partner violence and 13% experienced sexual violence. Harassment and violence are also common in schools and public spaces. Schools are often the first place children can disclose abuse, but often lack safe reporting systems, while staff may not be equipped with survivor‑centred skills. Kenya has a National Policy for Prevention and Response to Gender Based Violence, anchored in the Constitution and statutory frameworks, yet effective prevention and response require strong systems and structures to operationalise laws and plans across national and county levels. Kenya’s National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) were well placed to address this gap by partnering with education actors to test practical, scalable school‑based prevention and response models.
JICA and NGEC worked with Machakos County and the education sector to pilot GBV‑responsive approaches in eight schools, combining survivor‑centred capacity building with safe reporting mechanisms and student engagement. The approach included:
training teachers on survivor‑centred support.
introducing GBV‑responsive school policies.
establishing anti‑GBV school committees and counselling rooms (“safe havens”) to enable confidential reporting and connect students with appropriate support services.
providing age‑appropriate learning tools, including the “Life Board Game” (LIFT), developed through iterative consultation and testing to spark safe dialogue on GBV and build agency. Structured around childhood, adolescence and adulthood, the game introduces players to the major risks and challenges that women and girls may face, such as gendered division of labour, sexual/domestic violence, and child marriage, while modelling positive, supportive responses by adults (teachers, parents, officials, relatives).
strengthening student agency and shifting norms through student-led anti‑GBV clubs, using creative activities (drama, poetry, sports, music, painting) and implementing an Anti‑GBV Karate Programme with trained instructors, combining self‑defence with reflection on violence, gender norms, and help‑seeking pathways.
establishing partnerships with schools, education authorities, professional counsellors from local non-governmental organisations (NGOs), law enforcement referral points and safe shelters for cases where returning home was unsafe.
As a result of implementing a practical, school-based approach in Machakos County that combines survivor‑centred capacity building with safe reporting mechanisms and student engagement, the project has:
Strengthened safe disclosure and referral pathways for students. One year after the pilot began, at least 36 students who previously felt unable to speak out reported cases of GBV to teachers – signalling increased trust in school reporting systems. At Mumbuni Primary School, within the first three months, four girls disclosed sexual violence to teachers; the cases were promptly referred to police and perpetrators were arrested. Survivors also accessed ongoing counselling through an NGO-supported referral arrangement, and where returning home was unsafe (including when the perpetrator was a family member), students were referred to safe shelters to continue schooling in a protected environment. These changes occurred because schools introduced dedicated “safe havens” and anti‑GBV committees, enabling confidential reporting and consistent follow‑up.
Increased student agency and prevention through participatory learning and sport. The pilot strengthened prevention by making students active contributors to change. 13 student clubs across 8 schools engaged 483 students in peer-led awareness activities (e.g., drama, music, sports and art), helping to normalise discussion of GBV and encouraging help‑seeking. In the Karate Programme, which included “Ten Dojo/Karate Principles for the Elimination of GBV”, a post‑training survey found that over 90% of participants reported increased self‑confidence, and 78% reported a strong desire to change harmful gender norms. Sustainability and next steps include scaling the LIFT learning game (finalised in March 2025) and exploring wider dissemination of the school model by NGEC and the education authorities.
Schools are effective entry points for preventing and eliminating GBV, and this approach can be institutionalised for scale. Schools are critically important spaces where children can first seek help, and teachers are often first responders when students experience or witness violence. To sustain and scale impacts, it is recommended to institutionalise school‑based GBV prevention models within national and county‑level education systems by integrating gender‑responsive and GBV‑related content into curricula, establishing clear school‑based reporting and referral protocols, and ensuring continuous capacity‑building for teachers on gender equality, child protection and survivor‑centred approaches. Positioning schools as long‑term agents of change offers a sustainable, community‑based pathway for transforming social norms, preventing violence and promoting inclusive and safe learning environments for all students.
Confidential “safe havens” and anti‑GBV committees can shift stigma to trust. Establishing counselling rooms (“safe havens”) and anti‑GBV school committees supported earlier detection and response, and contributed to more open reporting. A school leader noted that previously, students reported incidents in the staff room, where teachers sometimes discussed cases casually. This environment discouraged disclosure. With the introduction of new structures, students began reporting cases more openly and survivors could access counselling.
Locally‑led, participatory activities help normalise discussion and strengthen agency. School‑based anti‑GBV club activities provided safe spaces for students to express themselves through creative and participatory activities, and encouraged both girls and boys to take proactive roles in promoting respect and equality. In addition, the LIFT educational board game helped spark dialogue and has been recognised as a learning tool that combines fun with education, contributing to increased awareness and more supportive attitudes toward GBV prevention and survivor support.
Sports-based approaches can support psychosocial recovery and prevention, including for students with disabilities. The Anti‑GBV Karate Programme proved effective by combining physical training with reflective learning on relationships, GBV fundamentals and help‑seeking. Adaptations for children with hearing impairments – including dedicated sessions and integrating key principles into daily routines using sign language – supported disclosure, confidence and a more inclusive school environment.
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More In Practice examples from Japan are available on Development Co-operation TIPs • Tools Insights Practices.
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Photo ©JICA, Students of the Machakos Teachers Training College Anti‑GBV Drama Club at a school program showcase event: ‘Building a GBV‑Responsive School Model’, Machakos, 26 March 2025.
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