This archive report was first published on 11 May 2020.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread, a disturbing trend has emerged in Kenya: a rise in gender-based violence (GBV) cases. According to FIDA-KENYA, Nairobi, Kisumu, and Mombasa counties are leading the way in this alarming statistic.
Between April 15 and May 3, a total of 289 cases were reported to FIDA-KENYA, with child custody and maintenance cases topping the list at 117, followed closely by GBV cases at 81. The majority of these cases are intimate partner violence, with Nairobi and Kisumu recording high numbers of defilement and rape.
“The cases reported have had a devastating effect on the survivors,” says FIDA. “For example, one case of GBV by in-laws resulted in the lady miscarrying a 4-month pregnancy, while one of the rape cases resulted in the victim suffering a perforated uterus.”
According to the lawyers, the prolonged confinement with abusive partners during the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed women and girls to more episodes of abuse. They are now calling upon the government to establish safe spaces and shelters in all counties where women and girls can get temporary shelter as they escape from their abusers.
Gender CS Margaret Kobia notes that the leading forms of violence are physical assault, psychological torture, and defilement. The curfew has increased the vulnerability of women and girls, particularly those in quarantine, who face increased risks of intimate partner violence.
“Girls staying home from school are vulnerable to forms of abuse, such as defilement and female genital mutilation (FGM),” says the CS.
