The Occurrences of Sexual and Gender Based Violence in Wajir County, Kenya
Keywords:
Gender Based Violence (GBV),, Gender,, Violence,, Wajir,, COVID-19Abstract
Gender Based Violence (GBV) against women and girls is a sensitive and global
phenomenon, which is also a major economic, social health and security concern
for the affected communities around the globe. Women and girls in Wajir County
are an easy target due to the socio-economic and cultural set up, this was
exacerbated by the Covid-19 outbreak. The Covid-19 control measures by the
Ministry of Health of lockdowns, closure of learning institutions and curfews
contributed immensely to the increased cases of violence against women and girls
especially from known perpetrators. There are a lot of stakeholders and key
partners in dealing with the menace and their efforts are gaining momentum. The
study employed a mixed method approach. Three sub-counties were randomly
selection from the six sub counties found in Wajir County. The target population
for this study were female and male members of the community aged between 18 –
64 years. A total sample was 1,250 were sampled. Data was corrected through
questionnaires, interviews and focused group discussion. Collected data was
analysed using SPSS and results were presented descriptively and qualitative data
was analysed using narrative analysis. In Wajir county GBV manifests itself
mainly in the form of sexual violence; FGM, early marriages, rape, incest and
defilement and the most common of them all being rape and defilement. This is
mainly propagated by bad cultural practices, poverty, lack of proper education
and advocacy on SGBV. To maintain the sustainability and efficacy of the fight
against GBV and sexual assault within communities, national and international
funding programmes administered by local NGOs and community women's groups
is necessary.
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