Gender Based Violence

Ending Gender-Based Violence in Kenya

Transforming Communities, Empowering Women, and Protecting the Future

Gender-based violence (GBV) is one of the most widespread and persistent challenges, affecting 1 in 3 women and girls globally. Its consequences are devastating, impacting the long-term health, dignity, and well-being of survivors, their families, and entire communities.

In Kenya, as in many parts of the world, women and girls face heightened risks of violence, particularly in vulnerable settings. GREDO is committed to ending all forms of violence against women and girls, with a strong focus on preventing sexual violence.

Our approach is community-driven and transformative. Through the Community Care Program, we work directly with communities to challenge and reshape harmful social norms. By turning attitudes that perpetuate violence into values that promote dignity, equality, and non-violence, we create safer environments for women and girls.

The program engages Community Dialogue Leaders (CDLs) influential voices within communities who are trained to lead discussions, inspire change, and mobilize collective action. Together, they strengthen support systems for survivors, encourage reflection on human rights and social values, and promote public commitments to ending sexual violence.

Our goal is clear: to build communities where women and girls are safe, respected, and empowered, and where equality and justice form the foundation of lasting change.

Driving Community Change in 6 Steps

1) Strengthen community-based care and support for survivors of sexual violence

At GREDO, we believe that survivors of sexual violence deserve not only protection but also compassionate care and support within their own communities. Our work focuses on strengthening community-based systems that provide safe spaces, counseling, and psychosocial assistance to survivors.

By engaging local leaders, families, and institutions, we foster environments where survivors are treated with dignity and respect, and where communities take collective responsibility for prevention and healing. This approach ensures that support is accessible, culturally relevant, and sustainable, helping survivors rebuild their lives while promoting resilience and solidarity across the community.

Our commitment is clear: to empower communities to stand against sexual violence, provide meaningful care to survivors, and create lasting change that safeguards the future of women and girls.

2) Enabling Reflection on Human Rights and Sexual Violence

At GREDO, we believe that lasting change begins with honest conversations. Our programs create safe spaces where core community groups can reflect on human rights and the realities of sexual violence. By encouraging dialogue, we help communities confront harmful practices, challenge deeply rooted norms, and recognize the rights and dignity of women and girls.

Through guided discussions led by trained Community Dialogue Leaders (CDLs), participants are empowered to question attitudes that perpetuate violence and to embrace values of equality, respect, and non‑violence. This process of reflection not only strengthens awareness but also builds collective responsibility, ensuring that communities themselves become champions of protection and change.

Our goal is to nurture communities where reflection leads to transformation where harmful norms are replaced with those that uphold safety, dignity, and justice for all.

3. 3) Exploring Shared Beliefs and Practices

At GREDO, we recognize that communities are shaped by shared beliefs, traditions, and practices. These collective values can either reinforce harmful norms or serve as powerful drivers of positive change. Our work focuses on engaging communities in open dialogue to reflect on these shared beliefs and explore how they influence attitudes toward women, girls, and sexual violence.

Through facilitated discussions led by trained Community Dialogue Leaders (CDLs), we encourage communities to critically examine practices that perpetuate inequality or violence, while uplifting those that promote dignity, respect, and care. By creating space for reflection and dialogue, communities are empowered to transform harmful norms into practices that safeguard human rights and foster equality.

This approach ensures that change is not imposed from outside but grows organically from within, rooted in the values and traditions that communities themselves hold dear. In doing so, GREDO helps build safer, more supportive environments where women and girls can thrive.

4) Supporting Collective Public Commitment

Successfully shifting harmful social norms requires more than awareness it demands collective action. At GREDO, we support communities in moving from reflection to commitment, ensuring that members not only understand the benefits of change but also take ownership of it.

Through our Community Care Program, we guide core groups to identify the advantages of promoting equality and non‑violence. These groups then organize public actions such as community dialogues, pledges, and awareness events that demonstrate their commitment to ending sexual violence.

Such visible, collective commitments inspire others to adopt positive beliefs and practices, creating a ripple effect across the community. By fostering public accountability and shared responsibility, we help build safer, more equitable environments where women and girls are protected, respected, and empowered.

5) Communicate change

At GREDO, we believe that transformation must be visible and shared. Communicating change is a vital step in shifting harmful social norms and building safer communities for women and girls. When communities openly express their commitment to ending sexual violence, they inspire confidence, strengthen accountability, and encourage others to join the movement.

Through the Community Care Program, we support groups to articulate the benefits of change and to share their commitments publicly. This may take the form of community dialogues, awareness campaigns, or collective pledges that demonstrate a united stand against violence. By making change visible, communities reinforce new values of dignity, equality, and non‑violence, ensuring that progress is not only achieved but sustained.

Our goal is to amplify voices of change so that every community becomes a beacon of safety and respect for women and girls.

6) Building an Environment that Supports Change

At GREDO, we know that lasting transformation requires more than individual commitment—it depends on creating an environment where change is nurtured and sustained. Communities thrive when supportive structures, values, and practices reinforce equality, dignity, and non‑violence.

Through the Community Care Program, we work with local leaders, families, and institutions to strengthen systems that protect women and girls. This includes fostering safe spaces, encouraging open dialogue, and promoting collective responsibility. By embedding positive norms into everyday life, communities become resilient against harmful practices and more responsive to the needs of survivors.

Our approach ensures that change is not temporary but deeply rooted in community values. By building environments that support transformation, we help create safer, more equitable societies where women and girls can live free from violence and realize their full potential