HRW slams Kenya’s response to surge in gender-based violence
Al Jazeera
Kenya failed to provide support amid a spike in violence against women and girls during the COVID-19 pandemic, HRW says.
Human Rights Watch has decried the Kenyan government’s response to a surge in gender-based violence (GBV) that took place throughout the coronavirus pandemic, specifically during periods of lockdown.
In a new report released on Tuesday, the US-based rights group claimed the government failed to ensure that health, economic and social support services were available to women amid restrictions that affected their mobility.
In doing so, HRW said the Kenyan government actually facilitated an increase in GBV. The report says there was a staggering 301 percent increase in calls reporting violence against women and girls in the first two weeks of the lockdown between March and April 2020.
