• Nairobi Gender and Equality Commission in 2017 on the economic burden of GBV revealed that Kenya incurred Sh46 billion in the management of GBV.
• WHO reveal that 66 per cent of girls and boys below the age of 18 years have either experienced physical or sexual violence.
Image: MAUREEN KINYANJUI
Nairobi women MCAs have called for the establishment of gender-based violence desks across all 17 subcounties for victims and survivors in the capital.
This came as the country marked the end of 16 days of activism against GBV on Thursday. The theme for this year’s campaign, which commenced on November 25, was 'Orange the World: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect!'
In a motion moved by Deputy Majority Whip Waithera Chege, the desks will help provide post-trauma care for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.
Despite the country being in the process of enacting laws on GBV issues, the legislator raised concerns that many cases have gone unnoticed, especially this year during the Covid-19 crisis, given the lack of a data management system, specifically for the GBV.
A 2020 study by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics showed that 23. 6 per cent of Kenyans have witnessed or heard cases of domestic violence in their communities since the introduction of Covid-19 containment measures.
“Many gender-based violence acts have gone unnoticed due to lack of proper reporting mechanisms resulting in having no data kept for survivors,” Waithera argued.
The motion, which was adopted by the assembly, recommends City Hall be the centre of the GBV desks.
"Allow me to request and demand that... it is not too much to ask for fully funded desks within these constituencies so that even these people who are helping us fight gender-based violence, are also well recognised,” Waithera said.
Image: MAUREEN KINYANJUI
Statistics
Statistics from the World Health Organization reveal that 66 per cent of girls and boys below the age of 18 years have either experienced physical or sexual violence.
In Kenya, 44 per cent of women and girls between the ages of 15 and 49 have either gone through physical violence or sexual violence.
A study by the Nairobi Gender and Equality Commission in 2017 on the economic burden of GBV revealed that Kenya incurred Sh46 billion (equivalent to 1.1 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product) in the management of GBV.
Adding to the statistics, nominated MCA Mellab Atema said 14 per cent of GBV is meted out to women and girls, and 40 per cent to married women.
"With these statistics, it shows that not only young girls undergo gender-based violence but also married women. And the consequences are physical and mental illness,” she said.
High cost of services
According to Alberta Wambua of the Gender Violence Recovery Centre at the Nairobi Women’s Hospital, a survivor must have at least Sh10,000 to access outpatient services.
For one to be hospitalised, it would be between Sh80,000 and Sh100,000. With the high charges, the women ward reps argue that GBV victims in the informal settlements cannot afford the services as they struggle to meet basic needs.
Supporting the motion, Ziwani ward rep Millicent Mugadi, however, insisted that the GBV desks be manned by skilled counsellors. She recommended that the desks funding be factored in by the Health committee in the next financial year's budget.
"People should not misunderstand and say that we need to just have desks but also personnel. We need to involve everybody in society. We need serious education. And that can only come if we have financially, emotionally and mentally equipped staff who are going to stand out for our people,” Mugadi said.
MCA Emapet Kemunto urged the assembly to come up with a way of improving enforcement of laws and policies towards the prevention of gender-based violence, as well as acceleration of gender mainstreaming into all legislation, plans and programmes.
"Because with these, and when we have so many cases at the ward level, we should also have shelters where they are actually protected and their grievances noted down, having best data to improve everyday cases,” she said.
MCA Catherine Opiyo appealed to residents to read the Building Bridges Initiative report to understand how it seeks to protect men and women from GBV.
“In [relation to] the BBI and the Constitution, there is an Act that defends both men and women from this violence. People must read the BBI and the Constitution to know their rights and how to stop cases of violence, and ensure justice for the victims,” she said.