[JaneMukami]

Due to high levels of Substance and alcohol abuse in my community, one of the prevention strategies that would work is on addressing harmful alcohol abuse and couples programme to increase understanding and good communication. Given that women still have less access to power and resources, a programme on economic and social empowerment and economic transfers would be of great help.
others that would also work is on community mobilization and advocacy in order to change harmful cultural norms and practices that disempowers girls and women. Parenting programmes would also do in order to bring up a generation of men that respect girls and women and have a changed mindset.

[JaneMukami]

How the risk factors would differ if Mercy lived in my community:-
1. Mercy would be given an opportunity to finish school and not giving upper hand to boys
2. She would have a career making her economically empowered hence changing or breaking the cycle of poverty and violence
3. Her girl would also be in a position to attend school
4. She would have been given an opportunity to finish school after falling pregnant

Situational triggers would also change because there would be an ease on pressure on money given that she would be earning a decent income.

[JaneMukami]

Gender inequality has enabled violence in Mercy’s life and community at large by:
1. Denying mercy and other girls an opportunity to continue with education and realization and practice of their talents and hobbies
2. Acceptance of wife beating in the community
3. Domestic work undertaken by girls at the expense of their education
4. Preparing girls for marriage and how to become good wives instead of giving them an opportunity to advance their education and career goals.
5. Early marriages and transactional sex further disempowering girls and women

Violence can worsen gender inequality in Mercy’s life by:
1. Development of mental health problems such as depression leading her not to function properly in the community
2. Development of physical health problems further affecting her contribution in the community
3. Continuity of the violence cycle in her family. Her girls are also likely to experience violence in the marriage

[JaneMukami]

Violence prevention is important for Mercy’ community because they believe men beating up their wives is normal and women see it as a sign of love. Hence this mentality shall affect the upcoming generation who shall continue with the same vice of violence against women. Additionally, the beating up wives increases fear among children which have psychological effects on them. For girls who grow up in an environment with violence, they are also likely to have the same cycle in their lifetime while for boys they might become perpetrators of violence themselves.
Violence prevention is also key for this community to avoid girls who get pregnant being forced into unintended marriages and also hence affecting the realization of their full potential in life.

[JaneMukami]

Hello. My name is Jane Mukami from Nairobi, Kenya working in the HIV response. I am interested in the course to understand further the intricacies of GBV given it affects directly or indirectly to increase in new HIV infections and increasing vulnerability to those already affected.

[Author]

Posts