Data crucial in countering GBV, says CS Kobia

In April, women rights organisations appealed to the government to set aside 30 per cent of the Covid-19 emergency response fund to support gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response strategy in the country.

The organisations raised concern that the pandemic has magnified the structural violence and inequalities that the most vulnerable, including women, youth, children and persons living with disability continue to endure even in normal circumstances.

Centre for Rights Education and Awareness, Fida-Kenya, Coalition on Violence against Women, Equality Now, Groots Kenya, SDGs Forum Kenya and the Kenya Female Advisory Organisation petitioned the government saying the allocation of resources had little regard to issues affecting women in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Public Service and Gender Cabinet Secretary Prof Margaret Kobia, however, said the government needs data for victims of gender-based violence before allocating resources. 

BEYOND COVID-19

Prof Kobia, who spoke during a webinar on accelerating commitments, investments and action on addressing violence against women and girls during and beyond Covid-19, said the government is more focused on preventive measures. 

"The government has been working more on preventive measures because we do not want to wait until it happens. This is why the government has not been committing resources," she said.

Meanwhile, the CS said the government will work on preventive and protective measures until data pointing to the need of shelters and safe houses is compiled.

The CS noted that despite the shelters being few across the country, the government is working on a model to increase the rescue centres but under guidelines.

Kobia, however, said not all women who face gender-based violence prefer to go to safe houses especially if they have to leave their children with the abusers. 

UNREPORTED CASES

She encouraged those working in gender to look at what will work for the Kenyan context.

GBV has been on the increase in the country since the government imposed a partial lockdown and dusk-to-dawn curfew to contain the spread of Covid-19.

The national GBV hotline registered 201 cases between February and March while the Fida-Kenya hotline registered 81 cases between April and May. 

Several other organisations have also reported an increase in GBV cases. Rights groups say until coronavirus restrictions are relaxed, cases of GBV in Kenya will continue to rise.  They noted that when people remain behind closed doors, most of the violence will go unreported.