Nairobi — The rise in number of cases of gender-based violence in the country is the subject of a new Government-backed campaign set to start tomorrow.
Public Service, Gender, and Affirmative Action Cabinet Secretary Aisha Jumwa will jointly with Chief Justice Martha Koome launch the new rules to scale up access to justice for survivors of gender-based violence in the country, which peaked between 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 period
The rules were formulated in 2020 in line with the Protection Against Domestic Violence Act (2015) but awareness and utilization/implementation have largely been slow.
The Kenya Demographic and Health Survey of 2022 shows that 34 percent of women in Kenya have experienced physical violence since the age of 15 years.
The data show that 20% of women aged 15-19 have experienced physical violence since age 15, as compared with 42% of women aged 45-49.
According to the report, a woman's marital status is linked to experiences of violence with those who have ever been married being more likely to have experienced violence since age 15 than those who have never been married (41% versus 20%).
Prompted by the grave situation, experts attending the meeting in Nairobi's Serena Hotel tomorrow that will facilitate access to justice for domestic violence survivors, amid rising incidences.
The experts drawn from civil organizations, development partners, state departments for gender and affirmative action, and the judiciary will discuss the rules that give effect to the Protection Against Domestic Violence Act (2015).
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"There is little awareness on the PADV Act rules, it is because of this that the state department for gender and affirmative action, Judiciary and GEM Trust supported by the She Leads Programme have organized a launch of the PADV Act Rules," reads a document released ahead of the joint meeting.
Official data indicates that women are more likely than men to experience physical and sexual violence committed by their spouse/partner, with incidences increasing with age.
Kenya has taken some steps within its policy and legislative frameworks on gender-based violence (GBV) and other health-related human rights with the enactment of a number of legislations.
They include the Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation Act (2011), the Employment Act (2007), the Protection Against Domestic Violence Act (2015), and the National Policy on the Prevention and Response to Gender-based Violence 2014, among others.
As part of addressing barriers that impede Girls and Young Women's (GYW) participation in decision-making, GEM Trust under the She Leads programme has been engaging the state department for gender and affirmative action, -anti-GBV directorate to launch the PADV Act rules.
The launch set for Monday will be a high-level meeting, led by the Cabinet Secretary- Ministry of Public Services, Gender and Affirmative Action, the Judiciary through the Rules Committee, the National police service, the Office of the Director of Public prosecution, development partners and civil society organization, specifically women rights organizations and She Leads consortium members.
