Responses to sexual violence against girls in secondary schools in Kenya

This study focuses on sexual violence against girls in secondary schools in Kenya. This research examines some of the factors that enhance sexual violence against girls and the strategies and programmes that have been put in place to eradicate sexual violence against girls by teachers in secondary schools in Kenya. It also looks at the challenges that the government and the non-state actors are facing in making efforts to eradicate this practice. The study utilised the ecological model and the theory of gender and power analyse the underlying factors that perpetuate sexual violence against girls in schools and how the strategies put in place try to address them. It is evident from this study that factors such as age of the girls, the nature of teacher pupil relationships interact with societal factors such as social norms and poverty to increase sexual violence against girls in schools. Unfortunately, the current mechanism that have been put in place to address sexual violence against girls in Kenya do not empower the girls and community members, hence many girls do not report theses cases because of fear and intimidation by teachers. The findings indicate that there is need to strengthen cross-sectoral communication if survivors of sexual violence are to receive the necessary support. The findings also show that when some of these cases are reported, the perpetrators get away with light sentences or cases are dismissed for lack of evidence; therefore these girls also lose faith in the judiciary systems. The judicial system also needs to be strengthened so as to help the survivors of sexual violence receive achieve justice.