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The shadows of gender-based violence against girls and women

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By Mercy Robi

Despite local and international legislations that outlaw gender-based violence, enforcement remains paltry and the rate of gender-based violence including intimate partner violence against girls and women remains high in many communities in Kenya. It affects girls and women physically, psychologically, sexually, and economically. According to the Kenya Demographic Health Survey, KDHS 22, over 40% of women have experienced physical or sexual violence from their partners at least once during their lives. A recent report by CREAW-Kenya also reveals that over 3762 cases of gender-based violence were reported in 2022, and out of these cases, 2985 were women.

In the Kuria community in Migori County, girls and women in the area endure these violations from physical abuse and sexual assault to psychological manipulation and economic exploitation. The GBV Situation Report indicates that the age bracket of girls between ages 12 and 17 is affected the most.

This is mostly harbored by the social norms and cultural norms in the community where women are regarded to be inferior and subjected to the shadow of misogyny. Women in the Kurian community are oppressed and frequently abused physically by their spouses but tend to keep quiet and do not report the known perpetrators to the authorities for fear of being judged by family members or being expelled from their marital homes. This silence promotes the continuation of this act. Additionally, girls and women tend to keep quiet about the oppressive situations and fail to seek medical assistance which causes effects at a later time during aging. 

The scars of this physical abuse and trauma haunt the survivors long after the violence ceases. This leaves the children who have witnessed these acts to be psychologically traumatized. With the weak links in justice, kangaroo courts also aid the increased rate of GBV by using cheap consensus to punish perpetrators. This results in culprits escaping accountability and survivors being denied justice because kangaroo courts are not centered on human rights.

The government needs to equitably work with community organizations in Kuria to share GBV-responsive toll-free numbers to ensure survivors access the immediate support and assistance required through local radios or community leaders. A sustained fight against gender-based violence in Kuria-Migori County is crucial to creating a safe environment for girls and women. Civil education should be offered to the community to replace harmful cultural norms. In the community, awareness campaigns should be conducted to address the root causes of violence for the promotion of the Constitutional guarantee to the highest attainable standards of health for all Kenyan citizens.

Mercy Robi, NAYA Youth Advocate, Migori