Peacebuilding Skills

Efforts and attempts to mitigate GBV have been superficial focusing on the descriptive aspect while the action component has been ignored. Many studies have been conducted on the extent, nature, prevalent and impact of GBV across the globe but they fail to consider effective action to curb the problem. Furthermore, inadequate support from authorities coupled with a patriarchy which trains women to remain silent, internalize and accommodate violence (Damba, Lunga and Musarurwa 2013) continue to hinder success. Whilst this argument is true based on previous findings from other African countries, the view also stands in Kenya as revealed in a study conducted in one of the universities (Chege 2007:1). Given the findings, an effective intervention needs to be developed and tested, one of which is peer counselling, which is still a new phenomenon in Kenya but has the potential to transform young people's mindsets to work towards building peaceful co-existence with one another.