EFFECTS OF COVID-19 CONTAINMENT MEASURES ON GENDER BASED VIOLENCE IN KAKAMEGA CENTRAL SUB-COUNTY, KENYA

In the first quarter of 2020, the world went into lockdown in an attempt to control the spread of COVID-19 disease. As a result, cases of gender-based violence (GBV) increased exponentially. In Kenya, there was a reported increase of 36% in GBV cases in 2020, indicating a correlation between the COVID-19 pandemic and the surge in GBV incidents. Despite several accounts of this phenomenon, the perspectives of the victims have not received adequate attention. This study aimed to investigate the effects of COVID-19 containment measures on GBV in Kakamega Central Sub-County, Kakamega County, Kenya. The specific objectives were to: Examine how COVID-19 containment measures contributed to the rise in GBV from the victim's perspective; Assess the intersectionality of victim experiences of GBV during the COVID-19 pandemic; and, determine the victim's perspective on the interventions put in place to address the spike in gender-based violence during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was guided by Routine Activity theory, which explains how COVID-19 containment measures generated risk factors that favored motivated offenders, made victims suitable targets, and limited the presence of capable guardians. The study also adopted intersectionality theory, which explains the intersectionality of victim experiences and interventions. The study used a mixed-method research design, which gave it the advantage of using both quantitative and qualitative research to answer the research questions comprehensively. Kakamega Central Sub-County in Kakamega County served as the research site due to its diverse population and its high number of registered GBV cases during the pandemic. The sample size for this study was 270 GBV victims selected based on Taro Yamane's sample determination formula. The target sample size of key informants was 27. Quantitative data was analyzed using cross-tabulation and summary statistics, while qualitative data was analyzed thematically using content analysis. The findings revealed that containment measures contributed to the increase in GBV, attributed to factors such as loss of employment (reported by 78.04% of respondents), decreased income (indicated by 87.04% of respondents), and increased stress levels due to quarantine (reported by 83.92% of respondents). Intersectionality was also evident in the experience of GBV among victims based on gender (indicated by 93.70% of GBV victims), age (75.70%), social status (71.0%), level of education (71.80%), and employment status (74.40%). Moreover, despite 79.61% of GBV victims knowing about the intervention measures for addressing GBV during the COVID-19 pandemic, 75.69% felt that the interventions were not specific to individual GBV victims' needs. As a result, the study recommendations emphasize the importance of: Enhancing resilience among vulnerable groups; Allocating additional resources to GBV response teams; Adopting an intersectionality lens to address diverse victim experiences; and, developing tailored intervention measures responsive to individual needs. The study's conclusions will inform policy evaluation and address the knowledge gap identify so as to refocus efforts to counter gender-based violence in Kenya within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.