By Millie Khosla
In Kenya, sexual violence remains a traumatic norm for women, with men being the perpetrators in the majority of cases. Today, nearly half of married women have experienced domestic or sexual violence with nearly the same percentage of men viewing this as permissible. To determine why this is the case, one must explore why exactly this cultural phenomenon exists. Simply blaming men for sexual violence is a short-sighted approach and will not lead to discovering the cause of rampant sexual assault.
A 2016 study describes a number of cultural factors as to why sexual assault is so rampant in Kenya, with most of the causes stemming from sexism. Although women compose half of the population in Kenya, women only make up 30% of the labor force, Women are pushed into the more “stereotypical” roles of homemaking and childcare. The study posits that this lack of representation in the workforce then solidifies the dominance men have in Kenyan culture, ultimately leading to an imbalanced power dynamic between men and women in Kenyan society. Finally, the study describes how violence towards others is used by men as a form of social control. A documentary from the BBC elaborates on this; several men are interviewed, all of whom claim that beating one’s wife serves as her “initiation” to marriage and teaches her “discipline.” This combination of women being excluded from the labor force, long-held cultural biases against women, and the expression of male dominance through violence ultimately culminates in a society which makes sexual violence exceptionally prevalent.
Since there is little legal protection for women against sexual violence, legal punishment is a limited option, particularly in remote areas where there is not access to a sophisticated legal system. Therefore, the study posits that societal change is the easiest form of prevention and awareness. The gold standard for reducing sexual violence (and ultimately reshaping how violence is viewed) is programming that educates men, helping them to build empathy for victims. This training breaking down myths about rape and physical abuse, as well as trains bystanders to intervene in potential assault situations. The few programs in existence have been exceptionally successful in creating a culture which both supports survivors of sexual assault and reduces the prevalence of sexual violence.
But, establishing such programs in a society with such heavy biases can be difficult due to cultural push back. The United Nations funds several NGOs such as the UN Action or the Rape Network which enter third-world countries in an effort to correct cultural biases against women. Although establishing these programs nationwide will be difficult, Nyamboyo Technical School is committed to building an all-gender curriculum modeled after such programs, offering it to both male and female students. This will not only improve the safety of students, but also serve as one of the first steps towards change.
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