Deadline: 29-May-2026
UNICEF is seeking national organizations in Kenya to provide legal aid services for survivors of gender-based violence and child sexual exploitation and abuse in Isiolo. The initiative strengthens access to justice through survivor-centered legal support, legal literacy, and coordination with justice systems, with indicative funding of approximately $150,000. It focuses on legal assistance, child protection, and GBV response in underserved communities.
UNICEF Legal Aid Initiative Overview
This UNICEF initiative aims to improve access to justice for survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) and child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA) in Isiolo, Kenya. It supports the development of survivor-centered legal aid services within vulnerable and underserved communities.
The programme addresses systemic barriers that prevent survivors from accessing justice, reporting abuse, and navigating formal legal systems effectively.
Programme Objectives
The initiative aims to:
- Strengthen access to justice for GBV and CSEA survivors
- Improve survivor-centered legal aid systems in Isiolo and similar contexts
- Enhance legal, medical, and psychosocial coordination for survivors
- Increase reporting and engagement with justice systems
- Strengthen child protection and survivor safety mechanisms
- Build trust in formal justice systems
- Improve legal literacy and community awareness
Key Focus Areas and Themes
The programme focuses on:
- Gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response
- Child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA) response
- Legal aid and access to justice
- Child protection systems strengthening
- Crime prevention and survivor support services
- Survivor-centered legal assistance and representation
Funding Details
- Indicative funding: approximately $150,000
- Funding type: support for implementing legal aid services
- Scope: national NGO or consortium-based implementation
- Geographic focus: Isiolo, Kenya (high-need and underserved region)
Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants include:
- National non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Kenya
- Consortia of NGOs with complementary expertise
- Organizations with experience in legal aid services
- Providers of pro bono or funded legal assistance
Applicants should demonstrate:
- Proven experience in survivor-centered legal aid
- Capacity to work in GBV and child protection contexts
- Strong coordination with justice system actors
- Ability to operate in underserved and high-vulnerability areas
Eligible Activities
Funded activities include:
- Legal advice, assistance, and representation for survivors
- Support for reporting abuse to police and justice authorities
- Assistance with criminal justice processes and court engagement
- Survivor navigation of investigations and legal procedures
- Legal literacy and community awareness sessions
- Legal aid clinics in local communities
- Coordination with justice and protection actors
- Case management and joint review mechanisms
Survivor Support Services Covered
The programme supports non-legal costs to reduce barriers, including:
- Transportation to police stations and courts
- Logistical support for court attendance
- Basic needs support during legal processes
- Facilitation of access to justice services
Note:
- Civil litigation support is not included
- Survivors may be informed about civil legal options, but not funded directly
Key Priorities
The initiative prioritizes:
- Survivor-centered and child-sensitive justice approaches
- Strengthening legal aid systems in underserved regions
- Integrated legal, medical, and psychosocial support
- Improved coordination between justice system actors
- Increased community legal awareness
- Reduction of barriers to reporting and justice access
- Enhanced trust in formal legal systems
How the Programme Works
The process typically includes:
- Submission of expression of interest by eligible organizations
- Evaluation of organizational capacity and experience
- Selection of implementing partner(s) or consortium
- Implementation of legal aid services in Isiolo
- Delivery of survivor-centered legal support
- Coordination with justice and protection systems
- Monitoring, reporting, and evaluation of outcomes
Expected Outcomes
The programme aims to achieve:
- Improved access to justice for GBV and CSEA survivors
- Increased reporting of abuse cases
- Strengthened legal aid service delivery systems
- Enhanced legal literacy in communities
- Better coordination between justice actors
- More child-sensitive legal procedures
- Reduced barriers to court and police engagement
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Applicants should avoid:
- Lack of proven legal aid experience
- Weak child protection or GBV expertise
- Poor coordination with justice institutions
- Missing survivor-centered or trauma-informed approach
- Ignoring logistical and access barriers in rural areas
- Submitting proposals without clear implementation capacity
Tips for a Strong Application
To improve success chances:
- Demonstrate strong legal aid track record in GBV/CSEA cases
- Highlight survivor-centered and child-sensitive methodologies
- Show clear coordination mechanisms with justice actors
- Include community legal awareness strategies
- Provide realistic implementation plans for Isiolo context
- Emphasize accessibility in underserved populations
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the UNICEF initiative in Isiolo about?
- It supports legal aid services for survivors of GBV and child exploitation.
- It strengthens access to justice in underserved communities.
- It focuses on survivor-centered legal assistance and protection.
- Who can apply?
- National NGOs in Kenya
- NGO consortia
- Organizations experienced in legal aid and GBV response
- What is the funding amount?
- Approximately $150,000 (indicative)
- Used to implement legal aid and support services
- What services are funded?
- Legal advice and representation
- Court and police support
- Legal literacy and awareness sessions
- Case navigation and coordination support
- Are civil cases funded?
- No, civil litigation is not included
- Survivors may receive information about civil options
- Where is the programme implemented?
- Isiolo County, Kenya
- Focus on high-need and underserved areas
Conclusion
The UNICEF Legal Aid Access to Justice Initiative in Isiolo is a targeted response to strengthen justice systems for survivors of gender-based violence and child exploitation. By funding legal aid services, legal awareness, and coordinated justice support, the programme improves survivor access to justice and builds stronger, more responsive protection systems in vulnerable communities.
For more information, visit UN Partner Portal.