Human Rights of Women

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Source: Daily Nation
A team from Kenya is one of the nine winners of a Sh120million global award for innovations to Prevent Gender-Based Violence.

The money from the award, by the World Bank Group and an NGO -- Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI), will now be used for research, programs, or other activities related to gender-based violence prevention.

The nine were part of a larger pool of 300 submissions after a call out for application in October last year.

They were selected for their innovations to prevent violence in low- and middle-income countries. The other winners are from Bangladesh, Brazil, Lebanon, Moldova, Peru, Thailand, Turkey, and Uganda.

The Kenyan finalist awarded in Washington DC on Tuesday drawn from World Vision (Global and Kenyan office) came up with a proposal titled: Mental Health and Problem Management Support for Men to Reduce Incidences of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Urban Kenya.

The group comprised of: Phiona Koyiet, William Marwanga, Mary Mugo, Margaret Njenga, Catherine Omenda, Kevina Power. World Vision International: Alison Schafer.

World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim said gender-based violence exists in every region and every sector, and socioeconomic stratum, "but we now have a growing body of evidence that it can be prevented."

Nearly four in ten women globally, about 938 million women, have experienced physical, sexual partner violence or non-partner sexual violence according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

He said the violence expresses and reinforces deeply rooted inequalities which impose costs to individuals, families, communities, and economies across generations.

"These costs undermine our work to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity. In addition to untold personal suffering, gender-based violence constrains women and girls and can potentially make them think that they should expect less and aspire to less throughout their lives," said President Kim.

SVRI Senior Research Manager Elizabeth Dartnall said: "By pooling resources and working together on the Awards, the SVRI and Bank Group have identified a global portfolio of superb innovators. This opens the door for award winners to access policy-makers, paving the way for durable solutions for the field -- helping us to build a world in which children and women live free from violence."

OTHER AWARDEES

The Effects of Transfers and Behavior Change Communication on Intimate Partner Violence: Evidence from Rural Bangladesh (Bangladesh, South Asia Region) -- Team: Akhter Ahmed, Lynette Aspillera, Melissa Hidrobo, John Hoddinott and Shalini Roy.

Double Vulnerabilities of Violence and HIV Among Women in Brazil: A Latent Class Analysis (Brazil, Latin America/Caribbean Region) -- Team: Regina Barbosa, Sandra Cruickshank, Daniela Knauth, Jamila Stockman and Kiyomi Tsuyuki

Making Sense of Early Marriage Among Syrian Refugee Girls (Lebanon, Middle East/North Africa Region) -- Team: Nour Bakhache, Susan Bartels, Annie Bunting, Colleen Davison, Saja Michael and Mary Purcell.

Preventing Gender-Based Partner Violence Among Youth with a New School-Based Course, "Harmonious Couple Relationships" (Moldova, Eastern Europe/Central Asia Region) -- Team: Diana Cheianu, Daniela Misail-Nichitin and Valentina Olaru

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