Gender-based violence during COVID-19 among adolescent girls and young women in Nairobi, Kenya: a mixed-methods prospective study over 18 months

Abstract

IntroductionAdolescent girls and young women (AGYW) disproportionately experience gender-based violence (GBV), which can increase during emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsA cohort of youth ages 15–24 in Nairobi, Kenya was surveyed at three time points over an 18-month period prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic: June–August 2019 (prepandemic), August–October 2020 (12-month follow-up) and May 2021 (18-month follow-up). We characterise (1) prevalence, relative timing and help-seeking for leading forms of GBV, (2) GBV trajectories over 18 months and (3) associations of individual, dyad and COVID-related factors on GBV trajectories among AGYW (n=612) in Nairobi, Kenya. Virtual focus group discussions (n=12) and interviews (n=40) contextualise quantitative results.ResultsIntimate partner violence (IPV) prevalence hovered at 17% across time points (ever at pre-pandemic; past 12 months at 12-month follow-up (2020); past 6 months at 18-month follow-up (2021)); non-partner sexual violence (SV) was 3% at 12-month and 18-month follow-up. Overall, 27.6% of AGYW experienced IPV during the pandemic. IPV during the pandemic was associated with work as the primary pre-COVID activity, low social support and partner age difference >4 years. Among AGYW partnered at all three time points, 66.2% stayed IPV-free (no IPV), 9.2% saw IPV resolve by 18-month follow-up, while 11.1% had IPV start and 13.6% experienced intermittent IPV. Help-seeking for IPV and SV in 2020 (11.1% and 4.6%, respectively) increased to 21.7% and 15.1%, respectively, by 2021. Qualitative results speak to impacts of curfews, and pandemic-related financial stress in prompting conflict and threatening traditional gender roles, and underlying conditions that enable IPV.ConclusionThe persistence of IPV against AGYW in Nairobi prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic reflects endemic conditions and pandemic-specific stressors. Youth, including unmarried youth, remain a priority population for GBV prevention and survivor-centred response.

Sexual harassment before and during the COVID-19 pandemic among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in Nairobi, Kenya: a cross-sectional study

“… 43 In adjusted models, personal control to leave the home was significantly associated with overall increased sexual harassment since the start of the pandemic among AGYW, and current school enrolment was marginally associated with increased sexual harassment. These results underscore the ways in which mobility restrictions may have presented a double-edged sword for AGYW, whereby remaining at home may have placed them at greater risk of IPV or violence perpetrated by family members, 28 44–46 and leaving the home may have made them more vulnerable to sexual harassment in public spaces like work and transit.…”

“…Overall, 42.0% experienced an increase in sexual harassment since the start of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. The high prevalence of sexual harassment prior to the start of the pandemic and sustained or increased occurrence of such violence echoes the burdens of other forms of GBV in Kenya28–31 and underscores the need for attention to sexual harassment and its impacts on health and well-being among AGYW in this setting.…”

“…A growing body of literature has documented the ways in which pandemic-related restrictions and psychosocial stressors have contributed to increased GBV risk globally 20 28 32. In contrast to more private forms of GBV like IPV, sexual harassment is often perpetrated in public spaces, making the potential impact of COVID-19-related restrictions and stressors less clear.…”

Ignorance as a Factor in the Inconsistent Regulation of Domestic Violence against Women as Mirrored in the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…2 Pandemická situace zároveň zvýznamnila způsoby, jimiž strategicky používané nevědění podmiňuje nečinnost konkrétních složek systému pomoci včetně 1 Dosavadní studie pokrývají téma GPN během pandemie z řady perspektiv. Výzkumné týmy analyzují dopad pandemie na GPN v jednotlivých zemích [Boserup, McKenney, Elkbuli 2020;Decker at al. 2022;Lundin et al 2020], regionech [Nagashima-Hayash et al 2022], případně nabízejí srovnání různých národních kontextů [Johnson et al 2020].…”

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on gender-based violence and physical violence among women in Peru

“…In contrast, health care, GBV provisions, and escape routes got limited, leading some survivors to contemplate self-harm 9 . In some low-middle income countries, GBV skyrocketed during the lockdowns and curfews compared to the pre-pandemic years [10][11][12] .…”