MTG Helps Shape Landmark Tana River Policy to Strengthen Fight Against SGBV
By Mwanakombo Hassan
In Tana River County, where cases of sexual and gender-based violence remain among the highest in the region, silence has too often acted as a shield for harm, allowing practices such as female genital mutilation and other forms of abuse to persist and deeply affect the safety, dignity, and futures of women and girls. In response, stakeholders are increasingly working to replace that silence with stronger systems, accountability, and protection.
Moving the Goalposts (MTG), together with other partners, actively contributed to the development of the Sessional Paper No. 1 of 2025 on the Tana River County Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) Policy, a landmark framework aimed at strengthening prevention and response mechanisms across the county.
The policy establishes a comprehensive, coordinated, and sustainable approach for addressing all forms of sexual and gender based violence. It aligns county level actions with national and international commitments focused on eliminating SGBV, while ensuring that survivor centered approaches remain at the core of all interventions.
At the heart of the policy is the creation of accessible support systems that uphold the safety, dignity, protection, and empowerment of survivors. It also seeks to promote gender equality by addressing harmful cultural practices and strengthening accountability mechanisms through multi sectoral collaboration among government institutions, civil society, and community structures.
Key commitments outlined in the policy include strengthening the capacity of law enforcement and healthcare systems, improving access to justice for survivors, enhancing community participation in prevention efforts, enforcing legal protections for all individuals, and promoting coordinated multi sectoral response systems.
Ultimately, the policy envisions a safer, more inclusive, and just society where all individuals, regardless of gender, can live free from violence and discrimination.