In Kenya, many reports demonstrate that perhaps gender violence is the most tolerated human rights violation. Approximately 39 per cent of women and girls have experienced physical violence where one in four experiences violence yearly.
Violence directed against girls and women by an intimate partner is the most common form of gender-based violence. Approximately 84 million—estimated to be one in three adolescent girls in informal unions aged 15-19 worldwide—are survivors of emotional, physical, or sexual violence committed by their intimate partner or non-partner at some point in their lives.
The sad reality is that one in three girls are married by the age of 18 and one in nine by the age of 15. Child marriage happens in our communities according to United Nations Population Fund UNFPA report 2015. Child marriage is an act of gender-based violence that leads to physical and sexual violence with serious consequences on a girl’s life, health, well-being, and future
During the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization indicated a significant increase in sexual and gender-based violence. UNFPA predicted an increase in GBV up to 31 million.
The precaution measures – from curfews, travel restrictions to lockdowns – have led to negative social and economic impacts exposing women and girls to abusive partners and known risk factors while limiting access to essential services, including justice and treatment.
Most of the survivors suffer long-term and short-term, mental, physical, sexual, and reproductive problems. Such violence has often resulted in homicides and suicides, unintended pregnancies, induced abortions that are often unsafe, gynaecological problems, and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.
In 2013, a study by WHO on the health burden associated with SGBV against women found that women who have experienced physical or sexual violence were 1.5 times more likely to have STIs and HIV compared to women who had not experienced partner violence.
Many of these women are also likely to have an abortion, which is often unsafe. In the same study, intimate violence in pregnancy increases the likelihood of miscarriage, stillbirth, pre-term birth, and low birth weight in babies.
It’s important that as a community we speak up against gender violence because its effects are dire and result in negative health and social impacts.
Services for survivors are essential, this means the government needs to invest in shelters. Rescue centres, hotlines, counselling and all support for survivors of gender-based violence need to be available for those in need.
Moreover, survivors of gender-based violence should not be made to pay for p3 and post-rape care forms, these should be available in primary healthcare facilities.
Youth advocate, Reproductive Health Network Kenya
