Abuse; A Kenyan Girl's Perspective by Michelle Macharia

‘Woman’s hand chopped of by estranged husband in Busia.’ This was the headline of a Kenyan  newspaper this month. During this season, there have been several depressing headlines  highlighting abuse of women. Statistics from the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey show  that 41% of women reported having experienced physical or sexual abuse aggravated by  economic hardship, health concerns and increased stress occasioned by the COVID-19  pandemic. Many women in Kenya are disenfranchised and seem to have few options when they  are the victims of abuse.  

In many different households, husbands beat their wives. It could start as a ‘small’ slap and turn  into a life-threatening injury. Apart from the physical harm to the woman, the boy child grows up  thinking it is okay to beat women and the girl child grows up thinking it is normal to be beaten.  Women may tolerate physical abuse because they have nowhere to go. Often times their family  will discourage them from seeking legal redress and encourage family mediation. The problem  of abuse may not be taken seriously and only minor fines imposed on the perpetrator. Even if  reported to the police, the complaint may be dismissed as a minor domestic affair. Some  communities even believe that a man beating his wife is a demonstration of love.  

Cases of sexual abuse have been on the rise. Young girls were even more vulnerable as they  were out of school and unsupervised in informal settlements. Sexual abuse occurs in homes,  schools and even work places. I have been a victim of sexual abuse and it often starts with  actions that may be trivialised or brushed off as exaggeration on the victim’s part. One male  figure of authority would make inappropriate remarks and inappropriate physical contact and this  made me feel powerless and unsafe. This makes me wonder just how violated victims of rape or  incest must feel. Sexual abuse has several consequences- physical and mental harm, sexually  transmitted infections, unwanted pregnancies or death to name a few.  

Child marriages are an accepted practice in some communities in Kenya. I believe child  marriages lead to sexual abuse. Imagine a girl as young as ten years being married to an older  man. At such a young age, their bodies are not developed enough to give birth to a child. Even as  they grow, it is difficult for them to escape as cultural and traditional beliefs do not support them when it comes to sexual abuse, especially because it is their partner who is sexually abusing  them. 

Women are not respected when it comes to politics. People are less likely to vote and support women especially if they are running for important roles. People believe that women should not  be leaders despite iconic leaders like Angela Merkel and Mrs. Margaret Thatcher. 

There are several ways we could attempt to prevent and reduce the amount of abuse happening in  the country. There should be a hotline and websites to support victims of abuse. These will  enable the women to report, either known or anonymous. After a woman reports, there should be  centres where they can go to receive the care they need. They should be able to escape and not  live in constant fear.

The leaders of this country should ensure that there are laws and institutional guidelines to hold  men accountable when they abuse women. Men should not feel that there are no serious  consequences that will be taken against them when they abuse women. They should know that  there are legal actions that can be taken against them. Having female lawyers and policewomen  could make women more comfortable with reporting cases of abuse. 

We could increase awareness by educating young girls and boys about abuse. This can reduce  the chances of them being victims or perpetrators. Empowering young girls through education  can help them understand that no one has a right to touch them or say things that make them feel  uncomfortable. Girls should receive equal education and career opportunities to enable them to  have options when they are victims of abuse. In schools, there should be a champion who can  help raise awareness and teach boys to respect women from an early age as they may not be told  such things at home. I would like to be a champion to teach young girls about their rights and  normalise speaking out when something makes them uncomfortable.