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Good practice Imported

Gender Violence Recovery Centre (GVRC) — Kenya's Hospital-Based GBV Recovery Network

Kenya · Nairobi · See the Kenya profile · See the Nairobi profile

Evidence: Observational / pre–post Top 32% 78/100 · Ask Evidence Copilot about this practice

Founded in 2001 as a charitable trust of Nairobi Women's Hospital, GVRC has treated some 65,000 survivors of rape and domestic violence free of charge and its model has since spread to 15+ hospitals across Kenya, Uganda and neighbouring countries.

61.5 %
Patients presenting following sexual assault (Feb 2003-Apr 2004, n=663)
75.1 %
Sexual-assault cases with a stranger perpetrator
86.5 %
Non-sexual-assault cases with an intimate-partner perpetrator
65,000
Survivors treated since 2001
3,600
Survivors treated free annually
Gender Violence Recovery Centre (GVRC) — Kenya's Hospital-Based GBV Recovery Network

Details

Maturity
Established
Promoter
Nairobi Women's Hospital / GVRC Trust
Period
2001–present
Keywords
health, hospital-based services, gender-based violence, legal aid, advocacy

Context

The Gender Violence Recovery Centre (GVRC) was established in 2001 as a charitable trust of the Nairobi Women's Hospital to provide free medical treatment — including HIV post-exposure prophylaxis within 72 hours, emergency contraception and Hepatitis B vaccination — plus psychosocial counselling and shelter referral to survivors of rape and domestic violence who could not otherwise afford care.

Results

A peer-reviewed clinical study of 663 consecutive adult patients presenting at GVRC between February 2003 and April 2004 found 61.5% had presented following sexual assault, with a stranger the perpetrator in 75.1% of sexual-assault cases versus an intimate partner in 86.5% of non-sexual-assault cases. GVRC reports having treated roughly 65,000 survivors since 2001, with about 3,600 treated free annually.

Conclusions

The centre was instrumental in Kenya's passage of the Sexual Offences Act 2006 and in adding GBV content to the national Bachelor of Science in Nursing curriculum; its model has since been replicated in more than 15 hospitals across Kenya, Uganda and other East African countries.

Implementation
Indicative cost
Medium (€50k–€500k)
Time to results
Long (> 3 years)
Staffing & skills
Nairobi Women's Hospital / GVRC Trust

Conditions for success

  • free HIV post-exposure prophylaxis within a 72-hour window
  • combined medical, psychosocial counselling and shelter referral
  • case-type documentation distinguishing sexual assault from other GBV

Commonly funded by

Philanthropic / foundation funding

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Data sources

Where this practice's information was retrieved from, and when.

Attachments

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