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e² APRIL 2017 UPDATE
The equality effect is pleased to report good progress thus far in 2017, making girls’ rights real. We’ve been hard at work, introducing new 160 Girls Justice Clubs that are empowering girls in local communities, training police to handle defilement cases, and being featured in stories published across major news organizations that are drawing attention to the international need to end impunity for rape.
160 Girls Justice Clubs
We launched the 160 Girls Justice Clubs in Nairobi on February 27th, 2017.
The event, co-hosted with our partners, the Gender Violence Recovery Centre, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, and the Kenya National Police Service, had a number of special guests including Assistant Deputy Inspector General Sospeter Munyi and guest of honour, Sara Hradecky, the Canadian High Commissioner to Kenya.
A dance off at the Nairobi Justice Clubs launch with Assistant Deputy Inspector General Munyi, representing the Kenya NPS Inspector General, was a highlight for club leaders and students alike.
The Justice Clubs will provide continued awareness of the need to end the climate for impunity for child rape by educating students about their 160 Girls rights, affirming the right to access justice, and providing tools to empower students to help hold perpetrators accountable for their violence, and end child rape.
The Justice Clubs are being piloted in 4 districts during 2017/18, and more than 13,800 children will participate in the clubs.
160 Girls Justice Club leaders in Mombasa demonstrate their enthusiasm for girls’ rights and change.
Each school’s club interprets the 160 Girls curriculum for themselves, and delivers the curriculum through poetry, dance, song, theatre, etc.-– they are owning the clubs! The student leaders have told us they like the clubs because: they are fun; they get to be the teachers; they get to team up with police; they get to stop rape. We’ve also heard from the police that the clubs are a great chance for them to connect with youth and work together to create change.
Constable Huessin Gure connecting with Justice Club leaders in Meru, in eastern Kenya.
See more photos of the 160 Girls Justice Clubs on our Facebook page.
160 Girls Police Training
The 160 Girls Police training, developed in conjunction with the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, the Kenya Police, Vancouver Police and front line rape rescue advocates including Ripples International, 160 Girls founding partner, continues to roll out in Nairobi, Meru, Kakamega and Mombasa, Kenya.
Since we started the pilot in 2014, we’ve seen impressive, tangible results. The difference in the treatment of defilement claims at the stations that have received training is "night and day", as our rape rescue partners say. A recent evaluation of the training shows that police who’ve been trained are investigating defilement cases more effectively, making more arrests and have been instrumental in seeing more cases go to trial and end in convictions than ever before. We’re seeing improved investigations, better file management and more robust techniques being used (e.g. recording and filing suspect interviews).
While there’s still work to be done, progress is definitely being made.
The police training evaluation happening at the Kayole Station in Nairobi, being led by Inspector Tom McCluskie, O.M., Vancouver Police.
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160 Girls Police Training in Action:
“Before I took the 160 Girls training I was an old-style cop and didn’t take defilement seriously; since the training I take defilement claims as a personal issue and see their importance. 160 Girls (training) has made me feel like a born-again, modern police officer.”— Chief Inspector Muchemi Kiruhi, Kasarani Station, Nairobi, Kenya
Since this Chief Inspector received the 160 Girls training 6 months ago, his station has:
• received 10 defilement claims;
• investigated 8 claims that have resulted in arrests and trials (2/10 investigations are on-going);
• the files assessed at his station by the Vancouver police evaluators received high marks and high praise.
One of these cases was that of an 8-year-old girl who reported a defilement. The police investigated and found four other victims in her neighbourhood. The accused serial rapist, a Norwegian national, is expected to face criminal charges.
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Tigana West Station, Meru, receiving the best performance award for the 160 Girls 2016 training evaluation, from Inspector Tom McCluskie, O.M., and Sergeant Leah Terpsma, Vancouver Police Department.
In the News
•CTV’s 160 Girls update from Kenya, March 23, 2017;
•“Kenyan Girls' Quest for Justice Realized, with Canadian Help” by Sally Armstrong, Toronto Star, March 12, 2017;
•Canadian High Commissioner to Kenya, Sara Hradecky’s, remarks for the launch of the 160 Girls Justice Clubs, February 27th, 2017;
•Kenya National Police Service Inspector General, Joseph Boinnet’s, remarks for the 160 Girls training, August 17th, 2016.
Thank you for your continued interest in and support of the equality effect’s human rights work. If you like what we’re doing and want to support the change we’re making, please donate to the equality effect.
Warmly,
Fiona Sampson, C.M.
CEO, the equality effect
http://theequalityeffect.org/
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