GENDER BASED VIOLENCE IN KENYA

Written by John on June 4, 2025

Gender based violence has become one of the major rising issue facing the country—both in rural areas and urban areas, affecting people of all ages and gender; girls, boys, women and men. Though girls and women are the most vulnerable.
Frank Burkybile (2025) GBV is a severe issue in Kenya, where at least 678 women and girls were murdered by intimate partners from 2016 to 2024. According to a 2022 national survey, about a third of all women ages 15 to 49, have experienced physical violence since age 15, and 13% have experienced sexual violence at some point. For instance, in Nairobi, Kenya’s security report this year has been dominated by the violence and killings of women and girls, with more than 7,100 cases of gender based violence since September 2023. Included in that number are 100 documented cases of murder against women since August 2024. (Mohammed Yusuf, 2024)
According to the member of the GBV task force, James Nombi, Kisii County has been identified recently to be a significant hotbed for gender based violence and femicide accounting for 25% of the national figures in Kenya. He noted that a county like Migori had rampant Female Genital Mutilation especially among the Kuria community, while in Nyamira, FGM was being facilitated by the medics because the law that prohibits FGM does not restrain medics from doing it. As the Kisii community and as the nation at large, we must take actions in solving this issue.
Forms of gender based violence.
Gender based violence takes many forms; Physical violence: which includes physical assault, human trafficking and slavery, sexual assault, forced marriages, emotional abuse, and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). In Kisii community, FGM is one of the dominant forms of GBV. They see FGM as a rite of passage into womanhood or a way to preserve cultural identity. Girls and families may feel forced to conform to avoid shame, stigma and rejection. The myths about purity and marriageability have led to the rise of these cases of Female Genital Mutilation.
Effects on victims and society
The effects of gender based are long lasting. The survivors may suffer from trauma, depression, or unwanted pregnancies. Some drop out of school, lose job opportunities or face rejections from the community. GBV also weakens families and holds back national development by keeping victims in circles of poverty and silence.
What should be done?
Ending GBV requires more than laws. It requires change in attitudes. We must teach respect, equality, and consent from a young age. Community leaders, religious groups must speak out against harmful traditions. Survivors need access to counseling, justice and safety through the use of the gender based violence task forces in Kenya.
It is quite encouraging that the government of Kenya has taken action in this; such as the prohibition of FGM act which was enacted in 2011, which was meant to completely ban the circumcision of girls. Also on gender based violence, the government of Kenya has set laws and enacted laws such as Sexual Offences Act 2006, Protection rights against domestic violence act 2015. These set of laws will enable the country to reduce rising cases of GBV.
In conclusion, Gender Based Violence is not just a women’s issue—it’s a national crisis that demands urgent action. If we raise our voices, educate each other, and hold abusers accountable, we can build a Kenya where everyone feels safe, valued and free.

BY OBADIAH…