The youth voice is the change we want in our society. Their voices when amplified it is certain that we will not only have a conducive and peaceful society but also we will experience generation equality in our areas.

THMP with their ongoing project Generation Equality supported by the Gates Foundation had a dialogue with 30 youths from Majengo, Boa and Mabriver villages at Kombani center in Matuga sub-county. The young vibrant ladies and gentlemen discussed about GBV and SRHR problem in Matuga and ways of addressing the issue in respective villages.

Most discussed GBV cases were;

· Early pregnancies

· Poverty

· Defilement

· Rape

· Early marriages

· Domestic violence

· Negligence of fathers to educate their girl children

The youths said that some GBV problems are caused by parents since they fail to educate their children on sex education since they find it shameful. Peer pressure among the teens has led young girls to

engage in sexual relations leading to unwanted and early pregnancies. High rate of poverty push young people into abusive and exploitative relationships. Early child marriages are results of harmful cultural norms practiced, ignorance and illiteracy leading to violations of human rights especially the woman.

Victims mostly don’t get justice because the perpetrators always pay the authorities to throw out such cases. The case also takes long time at the courts straining the victims which leads them to drop the case. They said most cases are settled out of courts leading to victims not getting fair justice. There is too much corruption from the officers they ask for bribes in order to process case files.

Youths were grateful to have been engaged in the productive dialogue and they are calling for more dialogues and sensitization especially of the older people.