According to the Kenya Demographics and Health Survey (KDHS), women are at 34% risk of experiencing Physical violence, 13% risk of sexual violence and 15% risk of Female Genital Mutilation/ cutting while men are at 27% risk of experiencing physical violence and 7% risk of sexual violence from their intimate partner.
World health organization lists the following health risk factors associated with exposure to Intimate Partner Violence
1. Homicide and suicide
2. Injuries and physical disability
3. Unplanned pregnancies, STIs including HIV
4. Depression, PTSD and alcohol and substance abuse
5. High rates of child mortality and morbidity

Nzumari Africa intends to hold inter-gender dialogues with couples with the aim of encouraging use of dialogue as the primary tool for conflict resolution within intimate relationships. Nzumari Africa will employ the ecological model approach to addressing intimate partner violence (IPV) where the community members will be informed on the causes of IPV as it relates to individual, relationship, community and society will be addressed and the community members will propose solutions which are socially, culturally, spiritually and legally appropriate.
Expressive Arts will be employed by Nzumari Africa as a tool for education that will be employed to highlight taboo subjects like sexual violence within intimate relationships so as to encourage dialogue and the need to a holistic approach to ending IPV. Expressive Arts which will include drama, puppetry, dance, Problem Raising Performances (PRPs) will be employed to not only highlight the IPV issues within the community but also as a way to keep the dialogues interesting by adding an entertainment component to the dialogues.
Drawing and painting will be used to support self-expression to those who cannot verbalize their experiences and as a means of self-reflection.
Nzumari Africa will ensure that Persons with Disabilities are involves in the dialogue sessions are they are also exposed to IPV with special attention being paid to those who have hearing and speaking disabilities as they are often not involved in such engagements and dialogues.
The inter-gender dialogue sessions will take place in the low income settlements (slums) of Nairobi. These include Mathare, Huruma, Kiamaiko, Korogocho, Mukuru kwa Njenga, Mukuru Kwa Reuben, Kibera, Kawangware and Kangemi.
Community duty bearers like religious leaders, office of the MCA, the police, Community Health Volunteers and office of the Chief will be also engaged for a holistic approach to IPV

1. Inter-gender dialogue that targets couples is unique. Since perpetrators of IPV are intimate partners, it makes sense to target couples.
2. Use of Expressive Arts to highlight sensitive and taboo subjects that happen within intimate relationships and also as a way to relieve tensions during dialogues by bringing in the entertainment portion.
3. – Very few solutions to IPV target actual couples. Since perpetrators of IPV are intimate partners, it makes sense to target couples.
4. Focusing on low income settlements will ensure that we reach marginalized people who do not get a chance to attend trainings on GBV organized by other organizations.
5. We shall include a mental health component where we shall show the nexus between IPV and mental health and how to maintain positive mental health
6. The use of the ecological model as a guide to the dialogue sessions will ensure holistic problem solving approach

The Ending Intimate Partner Violence through Art and Dialogue project goal is to promote dialogue as the primary tool of conflict management and resolution within intimate relationships. IPV has been shown to contribute to Homicide and suicide, Injuries and physical disability, Unplanned pregnancies, STIs including HIV, Depression, PTSD and alcohol and substance abuse and High rates of child mortality and morbidity therefore ending IPV will result in a significant reduction of the harms. The project will contribute to attaining the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals number 5 on gender equality, number 10 on reduced inequalities and number 16 on Peace, Justice and strong institutions.
The project will incorporate and engage couples, religious institutions, local administration like the office of the chief and MCA and also the security agencies like the police. This is to ensure sustainability of the project after funding.
The inter-gender dialogue concept and approach and use of arts to engage couples on ending IPV can work in many settings including not only in low income demographics but also middle class and also upper class demographics making it easily scalable not only within Kenya but also within the region and around the globe.

Key Milestones
1. Signing of Grant Agreement
2. Signing contracts with project personnel
3. Training of project personnel on the project objectives, outcomes and timelines
4. Stakeholder/ Community project onboarding meeting
5. Inter-gender dialogues
6. Planning and review meetings
7. Submission of reporting (Narrative and financial)
8. Stakeholder/ Community end of project reporting forum
Timeline: 1st January- 28th February 2024
Personnel
1. Two moderators
2. Rapporteur
3. Accountant
4. Monitoring Learning and Evaluation Officer
5. 2 Volunteers
Challenges/ risks and mitigation
1. Getting couples to attend our sessions. We shall engage religious and other community duty bearers to mobilize them and also work closely with youth and women groups as our mobilization agents.
2. Getting working couples to participate in the dialogue. We shall have certain sessions on the weekends when most people are not at work.
3. Participants taking the views expressed in the session to perpetrate IPV. The strategy which will be used in the dialogue will be about collectivism where the issues raised will be discussed and presented as group work. The participants will also sign an agreement that stipulates that the issues raised within the session shall remain in the session and the views expressed by the groups do not reflect individual views.
4. Violence during the dialogue sessions due to strong opinions shared and disagreements. We shall have security agents and local administration (chief’s office) in all sessions to ensure safety and security of the participants.

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