Evaluation report: Mid-term review of programme against gender-based violence in Kenya

The mid-term review examined the performance and results of the Finland-Kenya programme against gender-based violence (GBV) in Kenya and gave recommendations for the future. Gender-based violence is a serious problem in Kenya, and it increased with the coronavirus pandemic. The aim of the bilateral programme between Finland and Kenya is to prevent and reduce gender-based violence, particularly against women and children, and to improve the quality and availability of services for victims, especially at county level.

According to the mid-term review, the programme is relevant and responds to important current needs in the programme counties (Bungoma, Kilifi and Samburu). Training the authorities and other service providers, in particular to provide psychosocial support to survivors of violence, has been a success, the effects of which will be felt in the longer term. The programme will also strengthen the coordination of work against gender-based violence and information sharing in Kenya. However, programme implementation is lagging behind, due to e.g. delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic and elections in Kenya.

There will be no actual extension of the GBV programme as Finland’s country programme in Kenya will not continue after the end of the current country programme period in 2025. However, in order to ensure results and sustainability, the programme was granted a short phasing out phase. Kenya has become a lower middle-income country, and in the future Finland will increasingly emphasize commercial and economic relations in its cooperation with Kenya. Finland’s cooperation with Kenya will continue, in particular through other means of development cooperation (incl. private sector instruments, cooperation between universities and institutions, support for non-governmental organizations).

Publication 

Report: Mid-Term Review of the programme - Strengthening prevention and response to gender-based violence in Kenya (PDF; 63 sivua; 1,2 MB)