The Center for Rights Education and Awareness (CREAW) undertook a rapid multi-sectoral assessment of Gender based violence (GBV) in Kitui and Nyeri Counties in August and September 2019. This report brings out structural, systemic and environmental challenges limiting effective implementation of GBV laws in Nyeri County and reflects on ways in which women are included or excluded in various decisions geared towards addressing gender based violence from the grassroots to the County Headquarters. The report further outlines how the community at large is involved in addressing GBV and provides a discussion on community perceptions on the accountability of public authorities in implementing GBV laws and policies. The main content of the report covers the background context of Nyeri County in regard to GBV prevention and response, key findings, conclusions and recommendations.
In Nyeri County, violence against women(mainly wife battering) and neglect of children and what appears to be a calamitous case of absentee fathers stick out as significantly rampant forms and contributors to gender based violence in Nyeri County. The assessment revealed a vibrant multi-sectorial gender-based violence working group at the County headquarter level, but also a clear gap in reporting and documenting of GBV cases especially in the interior parts of the County. This poses a challenge in determining the prevalence and impact of gender based violence in its various forms as well as appreciating existing mechanisms for GBV prevention and response. A majority of women interviewed were not conversant with the laws and policies for prevention and response to various forms of GBV. While Nyeri County has been on the receiving end of negative press depicting women as the main perpetrators of intimate partner violence, especially at the domestic front, in comparison to other Counties in Kenya, interviews with both law enforcement agents and the community members, revealed that women continue to suffer disproportionately in the hands of their male partners both at home and in social places. Most respondents were confident that educating women and supporting them to cascade the knowledge to the villages would greatly facilitate the much needed awareness on GBV prevention and response in the community. Further, mobilizing a multi-sectoral forum that convenes regularly at both the county and sub-county levels could go a long way in ensuring and holistic prevention of and response to GBV.
