The Women in Power of Prevention Project (WPP)

With support from DanChurch Aid (DCA), WEL is running a two-year project named “Women in Power of Prevention Project (WPP)” aimed at reducing women and girls’ experiences of GBV and gendered inequalities in Nakuru County.

The Women in Power of Prevention Project (WPP) was initiated to address the high rates of gender-based violence (GBV) in Kenya, particularly in the region Nakuru, where over 31 percent of women in Nakuru aged between 15 and 49 years who are either married or have an intimate partner have faced physical, sexual, and emotional violence from their spouses (KDHS 2022) with the most prevalent form being intimate partner violence (IPV). The most prevalent risk factors include poverty, drug and substance abuse, early marriages, and gang-related activity. Although Kenya has laws like the Sexual Offences Act which is still under review, and gender desks in police stations, these measures often fall short due to under-resourced institutions, stigma surrounding reporting, and at times, even ridicule from officials handling these cases.

The project seeks to contribute to these objectives:

1. Through SILC groups, women in Nakuru county are supported to increase their financial independence, build their support networks and experience more gender equitable relationships.
2. Through community mobilization activities, Community Members identify and speak out on harmful gender norms and VAWG.
3. Operationalization of national and Nakuru county gender-responsive policies, structures and budgets.
4. WEL has internal capacity to deliver its mandate – look inward and ensure internally, WEL strategically aligns to current trends, updates her contexts in the areas of work and keeps growing to remain fit for purpose.