The equality effect’s 160 Girls Project is bringing an end to impunity for child rape – it’s long term work, creating long term change!
The 160 Girls Police Training in Kenya has scaled up to ensure that girls’ rights are respected and perpetrators are held accountable for their sexual violence.
160 Girls police trainees’ reactions to the defilement investigation training includes:
“It has enlightened me, on the ignored child defilement and sexual assault cases, and the stigma they undergo in silence.” “My eyes are now wide open. I can assure you that things will never be the same again.” “It has been so wonderful and an awakening call that will go along way to transform our way handling defilement cases.” “God bless the sponsor and facilitators.”
On a scale of 1-10, 98% of trainees rated the 160 Girls course as an 8/10 or higher. 100% of trainees stated that they would recommend the 160 Girls course to colleagues. The training is applied in the field, and the trainees are reporting “prompt, proper, effective and professional” investigations (quoting the 160 Girls High Court decision), resulting in arrests of perpetrators. A recent trainee’s team investigated a man who had raped his twin 8 year old nieces. The uncle was promptly arrested and arraigned. This is the kind of progress we can celebrate.
We’ve also launched another round of the 160 Girls Virtual Justice Clubs (VJC), aimed at educating communities and empowering them to report defilement to deter child rape. When 12 year old VJC leader Valerie was introduced to the VJC app, including original VJC art, poetry, music, videos, games, links to human rights books and inspiring human rights heroes, she jumped to her feet, pumped her fist in the air, clasped her friend’s face in both her hands with joy and waved with a huge smile, evident even under her mask! You can click here to watch the VJC pilot video to see more of this great 160 Girls VJC energy.
We are so grateful for your invaluable interest and generous support which has led to the success of the 160 Girls Project. Please help us to continue the 160 Girls scale up progress – with your help, we can continue to make girls’ rights real.
