Pandemic has bared ugly truth about violence against women
Gender-based violence has over the years been a common structural problem affecting most people.
What you need to know:
- There seems to have been a barrage of issues surrounding us ever since the outbreak of the coronavirus last year.
- Economically, the country has had to tighten its belts to withstand the shocks occasioned by the effects of the pandemic.
Truth be told, times have been hard for most Kenyans. Not that many of us find life easy at the best of times, but there seems to have been a barrage of issues surrounding us ever since the outbreak of the coronavirus last year.
Since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Covid-19 a pandemic, the world came to a virtual standstill.
Daily routines were disrupted and everyone had to observe the prevention protocols laid out by the Ministry of Health, including a dusk-to-dawn curfew.
Economically, the country has had to tighten its belts to withstand the shocks occasioned by the effects of the pandemic.
Politically, the Building Bridges Initiative “reggae” was stopped and, socially, the pandemic saw a surge in gender-based violence (GBV).
In many ways, the pandemic has exposed many of our shortcomings in our quest for a fairer and more equitable world.
Eliminating gender-based violence
The United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women describes gender-based violence as “a manifestation of historically unequal power relations between men and women, which have led to domination over, discrimination over and discrimination against women by men and to the prevention of the full advancement of women”.
Gender-based violence has over the years been a common structural problem affecting most people.
A big percentage of women encounter GBV in their families, marriage, work places but the victims dare not speak out. Women are considered as inferior and often lack social and economic power.
They are, therefore, unlikely to be heard when they report harassment or violence.
But we know such experiences are capable of changing our perspectives and make someone lose hope, give up or even surrender to fate.
It’s high time that gender issues are given priority and the society ensures that gender-based violence is eliminated.
Dianah Inviolata is a student at Rongo University.
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