As the sun rises and sets over the Kenyan landscape, a different kind of darkness can descend upon the lives of women and girls in the form of sexual and gender-based violence.
From physical and sexual assault to emotional abuse and harmful traditional practices, SGBV casts a long shadow over lives, with impact on people’s physical and mental well-being, through a pattern of fear, shame and silence.
The reality is grim: According to UN Women, one in every three women aged 15 years and above in the world has experienced SGBV of any form in their lifetime. In areas of humanitarian challenges, the risk of SGBV increases further, exploited as a weapon of war and control. These are not just statistics; they represent mothers, daughters, sisters and friends.
According to the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey 2022, approximately 34 per cent of women aged 15-49 have experienced physical violence and 13 per cent sexual violence.
Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders is also working to provide emergency medical care and support to survivors of SGBV. Nine in every 10 survivors we care for are female. Our approach focuses on prevention, comprehensive recovery services and advocacy.
We empower communities through education and awareness campaigns, centred on the early identification of cases and providing timely access to the services. We train community leaders and healthcare workers to identify and respond to SGBV.
Last year alone, 3,458 people received treatment for sexual violence at MSF Lavender house clinic and the other MSF supported public facilities in Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital, Mukuru, Dandora phase two and Kasarani health centres. Three thousand one hundred and ninety-five of the survivors were female with more than half under 18 years. This highlights the urgency for interventions against this vice. SGBV knows no boundaries, it affects women and girls of all ages, backgrounds and socioeconomic status, though some women are more at risk than others.
In refugee camps like Dadaab, where vulnerability is compounded by displacement and insecurity, the risk escalates. Undocumented refugees’ lack of shelter and access to food rations multiplies their vulnerability to SGBV and abuse, as they often rely on others to meet their basic needs.
Whilst these figures are already grave, our fear is that they only hint at the true scale of suffering hidden within communities, as these only allude to the reported cases. In January, we saw a wave of protests as people across Kenya took to the streets to protest violence against women and call for change.
In addition to specialised support from well-trained health workers, women need to be protected by strong legal frameworks, holding perpetrators accountable and ensuring justice for survivors.
MSF offers safe spaces where survivors can access essential medical care, including prevention of sexually transmitted infections like HIV and Hepatitis B, emergency contraception, psychosocial counselling/support and medico-legal support. Others include expert witnessing in courts with an overall goal of minimising the physical and emotional trauma associated with SGBV. We do so through a survivor-centred approach, to support them throughout their journey toward healing.
At the Lavender House Clinic in Eastlands, MSF runs a 24-hour emergency medical programme including a medical call centre, pre-hospital care through medicalised ambulances and a trauma/ medical stabilisation room. We also have a clinic in Dandora offering youth-friendly services to those between the ages of 10 and 24 years. All our services are free including a toll-free hotline.
Ending SGBV necessitates breaking the silence and stigma surrounding it. We need sustained community engagement, fostering open dialogue and challenging harmful attitudes. Men and boys must be included in this conversation, becoming advocates for gender equality and respect.
As we mark International Women's Day and reflect on the progress made in advancing gender equality, let us recommit ourselves to breaking the cycle of SGBV in Kenya and beyond. Let us not just acknowledge the problem but commit to dismantling it. Let us stand together, as individuals and communities, to break the cycle to give women something to celebrate.
MSF country director, Kenya