Lillian K. Kaviti
University of Nairobi, Kenya
Abstract
Gender-Based Violence (GBV) is today recognized as a
serious global health and human rights violation. Crisis situations such as
conflict or war usually exacerbate the extent of the problem, particularly with
regard to sexual violence against women and children. Once communal protection and support systems
crumble, the most vulnerable groups are exposed to sexual exploitation by
virtue of their gender and socio-cultural status in society. These survivors
inevitably experience social stigmatization from their families, who find it
difficult to empathize and relate normally with them. In 2005, a Communication
Strategy known as the “Tamar Campaign” was launched in Nairobi with the overall
objective to address Gender-Based Violence (GBV) within a religious contextual
approach. This Strategy was then rolled out to four different countries in
Eastern Africa and the Great Lakes Region with the objective of providing a
safe space to break the silence that often surrounds GBV. This paper examines
the impact that this Communication Strategy has had in changing attitudes and
deconstructing how certain African cultural practices encourage GBV. The thesis
propounded in this paper is that to be effective, any strategy must engage women,
men and the youth if it is to have a positive social change that is effective
and sustainable. The compilation of success stories, challenges and lessons
learnt also provides a learning resource to improve outreach efforts that lead
to a better standard of living for vulnerable groups in Africa in conflict
situations.
Keywords: Tamar Communication Strategy, Sexual Gender-Based Violence,
Transformative Masculinity, Female Genital Cutting, Internally Displaced
Persons.
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