DETERMINANTS AND CONSEQUENCES OF GENDER BASED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AMONG INTIMATE PARTNERS A CASE OF NYAMIRA COUNTY
Abstract
Domestic violence is widely prevalent in Kenya and cuts across ethnic boundaries, class, and level of education, income and age. It takes place and exist even where there are strong legal mechanisms. The constitution of 2010 prohibits all forms of discrimination. Many governments have committed themselves to prevent and end Gender violence by ratifying international conventions and declarations. Despite these efforts gender violence is still rampant hence the need to continuously conduct research on it. The main objective of this research was to assess the status of gender-based violence in light of the new constitutional dispensation among intimate partners a case of Nyamira County. In order to achieve this, the specific objectives were: to determine the extent of awareness of laws against gender based domestic violence as provided in the new constitution; to find out if intimate partners have been educated about their human rights and duties by civil society organization and government agencies ; to establish the prevalence of GBDV among intimate partners in Nyamira county; to examine the legal, socio- cultural and economic factors relating to Gender based domestic violence and finally to determine the consequence of GBDV among intimate partners in Nyamira county. A survey of 180 respondents was conducted through the use of systematic random sampling technique. Also, chiefs, village elders, social workers and head of religious organizations were purposively selected as key informants. The study established 80.8% of the survivors and victims of gender based domestic violence being women. They cited alcoholism, adultery, financial, coming home late among other circumstance being the causes behind such abuses. On knowledge and awareness of laws against gender based domestic violence, the study found that very few members of the communities are aware of their human rights and very few have been educated about the same. Legal factors relating to gender based domestic violence cited included; low level of knowledge, legal cost, reporting authority, traditional justice and witness protection. Social cultural factors cited included substance abuse, infidelity, polygamy among other factors. Finally, economic factors relating to gender based domestic violence cited included poverty, access to cash and credit finance and education, The study concludes that prevalence of gender based domestic violence among intimate partners is very high due to legal, socio cultural and economic factors that still exist. In addition, very few people have sufficient knowledge on laws and aware them as stipulated by the constitution this is due to low level of civic education that has been conducted in the county. This study recommends that specific awareness and training programs should be developed by the national government, county government, civil society organization and other relevant stakeholder to address the problem of gender-based violence among intimate partners.
Publisher
UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI
Collections
- Final [891]