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Turkana's safe space for female refugees

By  Verah Okeyo

Nation Media Group

Turkana County has opened a multi-purpose community centre to address the rights and needs of thousands of women and girls exposed to humanitarian challenges in North East Kenya such as health services.
The Women’s Empowerment Centre was built inside the Kalobeyei Integrated Settlement, which is an extension of Kakuma Refugee Camp, to provide humanitarian services for both refugees and the local community.
These services include vocational training, and counselling for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence. The centre also has a creche so those with young children are not obstructed from accessing essential services.

The centre was officially opened by county officials from Turkana including Ms Jennifer Nawoi, County Executive Committee Member for Trade, Gender Youth Affairs and Ms Sarah Eaale Etabo, from Refugee Affairs Secretariat.
Emmanuel Luyali, Programme Manager for Peace Winds Japan — which is one of the funders of the centre alongside UN Women and Danish Refugee Council — said the centre came as a result of a survey, which revealed that women did not have a space to talk about what they are going through.

SEXUAL ABUSE

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He said: “Many have experienced sexual abuse and existing platforms in Kalobeyei are male-dominated.”
The centre couldn’t have come at a much better time: In 2019, UN Women research found that women and girls from refugee and host communities in Kakuma and Kalobeyei are exposed to a high risk of sexual abuse due the insecurity as well as high poverty levels.
The poverty also worsens the already dire need of lack of decent work.
Mr Luyali said they are also providing opportunities to develop marketable skills to give women here a chance to earn a living and an opportunity for improved livelihoods.
Kalobeyei and Kakuma Refugee Camp are huge camps that host as many as 200,000 refugees according to data from 2019 UNHCR data.
The camp holds people South Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia and the Great Lakes Region.
Due to the need of social services in the county, the centre caters to refugees as well as locals in Turkana who also experience displacement due to the inter-communal violence and natural crises.

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