This archive report was first published on 30 June 2021.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has sounded the alarm on the rising cases of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Africa, saying the situation had reached global emergency levels.
Speaking at the opening session of the Generation Equality Forum (GEF) in Paris, France, on June 30, 2021, President Kenyatta noted that the COVID-19 pandemic had exacerbated the already dire global GBV situation.
“Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated the situation, and turned Gender Based Violence into a global emergency. Emerging data indicates a surge of at least 25% in violence against women around the world,” President Kenyatta said.
According to President Kenyatta, GBV is a global challenge affecting over 36 percent of women aged between 15 and 49 years. He pointed out that Africa had recorded a spike in gender-related violence in the last one year, with countries such as Cameroon (35%), South Africa (37%), Central African Republic (50%), Liberia (50%), and Kenya (50%) recording some of the highest increases.
President Kenyatta reiterated Kenya’s commitment to ending all forms of GBV by the year 2030, saying the country will continue tightening its anti-GBV policies by adopting relevant international treaties, including the ILO Convention 190.
He announced that Kenya will invest over $23 million in GBV prevention programmes by 2022, and increase budgetary allocation to $50 million by 2026. The investment will include an annual $1 million research fund and a GBV survivors kitty.
President Kenyatta also announced Kenya’s elaborate plans to introduce data-supported policies in its anti-GBV efforts, including a specific module in next year’s annual demographic health survey, roll out of an electronic information management system, and integration of GBV in the country’s ambitious universal health coverage program.
He rallied the international community to commit more financial resources to the global fight against GBV, saying, “To meaningfully deliver on these commitments will require substantial funding. It is my hope that a key outcome of the GEF will be a significant increase in funding from international partners to boost domestic efforts to eliminate GBV,”
