By Betty Luke
Isiolo’s Burat area has for years been synonymous with persistent cases of violence against women, largely fuelled by harmful cultural practices, economic hardship, and limited access to support services.
Women and girls in the populated ward continually grapple with risks ranging from domestic violence and exploitation to early marriage and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
Many of these incidents go unreported due to fear of stigma.
“Retrogressive cultural practices make the women more vulnerable to violence,” says Ever Ready Grassroot Network Chairperson Habiba Sheikh.
It is against this backdrop that the women- and youth-led community organisation, has initiated deliberate efforts to prevent and respond to GBV, starting at the village level.
The network brings together more than 750 women from 27 women groups under the Village Saving and Loans Association (VSLA) model.
The women were convened by Isiolo Gender Watch (IGW), for a well coordinated approach to challenge the rising vulnerabilities facing women in Burat.
According to IGW Executive Director Grace Lolim, the network had strengthened community responses to GBV and empowered women to speak up against their issues.
“We wanted women to organise, speak in one voice, and build synergies to help in challenging violence and harmful norms at the grassroots,” she said.
Founded three years ago, Ever Ready Grassroot Network was created in response to the social, cultural, and economic challenges affecting marginalized families in Isiolo.
Its formation was premised on the belief that sustainable solutions to GBV must begin with community mobilisation and women’s empowerment.
Among the network’s mandate was to strengthen women’s financial resilience that was greatly strengthened by the VSLA financial model to address limited access to income and ensure financial independence.
VSLA trainer and network member Kuresha Bille said economic empowerment had greatly transformed lives of the women by enabling them to save and access loans at friendly interest rates.
“Access to credit enables women to take part in building the local economy, support their families and start their own businesses which helps them walk away from abuse. That is why savings groups are so important to us,” she explains.
This financial independence is also helping women negotiate for safer homes and healthier relationships.
Beyond economic empowerment, Ever Ready Grassroot Network conducts community dialogues, intergenerational forums, and school-based campaigns helping families understand the effects of GBV and encourage positive social norms.
With funding from Indigenous Movement for Peace Advancement and Conflict Transformation (IMPACT), the network has established a social hall in Burat that now serves as a safe space for women to meet, learn, and receive support.
The hall has quickly become a community hub for mentorship sessions, dialogue forums and awareness activities.
According to Ms Sheikh, the hall offers women a space to share their stories, learn and heal.
The network plans to expand the hall into a cultural centre where women will showcase beadwork, cultural artefacts, and traditional performances with income earned set to support the network’s activities.
Ms Bille says the cultural centre will significantly boost women’s livelihoods by offering a platform to grow their skills.
Leadership training, digital safety awareness, and legal rights sessions have also strengthened women’s ability to advocate for themselves and others.
“The women who once feared speaking out are now leading community conversations on GBV. That is progress we cannot ignore,” Ms Lolim said.
As the world commemmorates the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, Ever Ready Grassroot Network is at the forefront pushing for economic empowerment as a violence prevention enabler.
The ongoing global campaign, that kicked off on November 25 and ends on December 10, has strengthened the network’s visibility and given members a platform to highlight how access to income, training, and solidarity can protect women from abuse and exploitation.
The network leaders stressed on the need for concerted efforts from all actors in eliminating GBV and extending the campaign beyond the 16 days target.
