- The consequences of GBV on children and the diverse categories of women and girls especially those with disabilities, from poor households, and those without income are grave.
- Mutinda said that studies show that incidences and prevalence of GBV increase rapidly during times of war, conflict, pandemics and elections.
Image: STEPHEN ASTARIKO
The drought reported in 23 counties is a major driver of gender-based violence (GBV), National Gender and Equality Commission has said.
Commission chairperson Dr Joyce Mutinda said that women, girls other vulnerable groups in the society are being forced into prostitution, forced labour, and other forms of exploitation.
“As communities and families lose their livelihoods, suffer hunger and food insecurity, experience weak or broken family structures, suffer intermittent conflicts, and children drop from schools, women and girls suffer most,” Mutinda.
“The commission notes that the current drought management programme directed to the affected counties and spearheaded by the national and county governments have an opportunity to mainstream and integrate GBV prevention, response and management initiatives,” Mutinda added.
She made the remarks in a speech sent to newsrooms to mark start of the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence, beginning on Thursday. The theme of the events is "Orange the World: End Violence against women".
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that one in three women across the world has been subjected to some form of violence, ranging from physical harm, sexual intimate partner violence, and non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime.
The Kenya 2019 Violence against Children Survey (VAC) report shows that childhood violence affects most adolescent girls aged between 13 and 17 and is commonly perpetrated by parents, guardians, and caregivers.
“The consequences of GBV on children and the diverse categories of women and girls especially those with disabilities, from poor households, and those without income are grave," Mutinda said.
"Other than fatalities and disabilities, violence exposes them to bodily harm, unintended pregnancies, low self-esteem and worth, exposure to infections, and depression among other complexities,” she added.
Mutinda said that studies show that incidence and prevalence of GBV increase rapidly during times of war, conflict, pandemics, and elections.
In Kenya for example, she said, GBV increased during peak seasons of Covid-19 mainly due to restrictions in movement, closure of schools, the collapse of livelihoods, and loss of survival opportunities.
“As the country recovers from this pandemic, we anticipate recording reduced cases of violence directed to girls, women, and other vulnerable groups,” she said.
In Kenya, she said, GBV has been used as a tool to intimidate and prevent women from gainful involvement in labour opportunities, production, management of the environment, schooling, participation in political processes, and career progression.
Mutinda said that sexual harassment at the workplace, intimate partner violence, trafficking of women and girls, cyber and online bullying are common forms and types of violence reported in Kenya.
Others are femicide, insults and use of vulgar language, the radicalisation of women and girls, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), and child/teenage pregnancies.
Mutinda listed initiatives, innovations, and investments directed towards the fight against GBV including the scaling-up of the National Police Services integrated response to GBV (Policare), the commitment of the Judiciary in expanding GBV cases, the establishment of gender-based recovery centers and shelters.