Residents urged to report gender-based violence cases on an online platform

Isiolo,

Thursday, December 28, 2023

KNA by David Nduro

Isiolo residents have been urged to report gender-based violence incidences on a new online platform in the government’s effort to eradicate practices like Female Genital Mutilation.

Isiolo County Commissioner Mr. Geoffrey Omoding urged the residents to take advantage of the platform to report incidents before they occur as an early warning mechanism that will help authorities to prevent cases from happening.

Mr. Omoding who made the remarks at the launch of the platform dubbed ‘Ongea Usikike’ urged parents to take children to school because through education the children would learn their rights while they are still young. The Nomadic Women for Sustainable Development (NOWSUD), a non-government organization, had organized the inauguration of the online platform.

The County Commissioner said the government will have no room for alternative justice procedures for perpetrators of (GBV) as it has been a trend among pastoralist communities in the past yet achieving negligible gain.

Mr. Omoding directed chiefs to help non-state actors with such initiatives to coordinate their activities since they have the same motive of stopping crime as the government.

A NOWSUD director Ms. Amina Gemadid said the “Ongea Usikike” online platform would help the victims of violence to be heard and be protected by the law of the land.

According to Gemadid many cases of GBV are not reported for fear of ridiculing by the community members yet the incidences could be prevented had the involved parties resorted to utilize the online platform which is instant.

A Human Rights activist Ms. Anab Kasim urged for concerted efforts towards popularizing the online platform so that many people including those that have no formal education have a way to express their plights through use of the platform.

The platform which will capture reports through online media like Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp will be available for use through gender champions from different villages of Isiolo and Samburu Counties who will act as point persons to enable residents to report information whenever such cases happen.

 The National Council of Elders’ treasurer Sheikh Amed Set who said that Islam religion does not allow any form of GBV including FGM urged citizens to defend the women's rights and shun all forms of GBV.

Sheikh Set said the country was spending a lot of resources to sensitize area people on gender based violence and therefore there was a need to try the more swift online services in fighting even other related crimes.

A youth leader Noor Juma said he was going to mobilize fellow the youth to understand and fight FGM which he blamed for negatively affecting the marriage, social life, and sex lives of young people.

Courtesy; KNA