Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) refers to any act that is perpetrated against a person’s will and is based on gender norms and unequal power relationships.
It includes any form of a non-consensual sexual act, attempt to forcefully obtain a sexual act, unwanted sexual comments or advances, or acts to traffic women’s sexuality, using coercion, threats of harm or physical force, by any person regardless of relationship to the survivor, in any setting, including but not limited to home and work. Six core SGBV types include rape, sexual assault, physical assault, forced marriage, denial of resources/opportunities or services, and psychological and emotional abuse. With over 40% of women in Kenya likely to face physical and or SGBV including lifetime physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence in their lifetime, and over one in five girls facing child marriage or Female Genital Mutilation, Kenya has a long way to go.
We’ve seen these violations worsened by humanitarian crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic and crises related to electoral periods, and this will continue without sustained action.
Kenya must therefore prioritize the realization of these commitments in order to make gender equality a reality for women and girls within the next five years.