COVID-19 and Domestic Violence against Men in Kenya: Issues and Policy Directions
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Date
2021-07
Authors
Ondicho, Tom
Mwanyuli, Sharon
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Academia Kenya
Abstract
Since the outbreak of COVID- 19 in Wuhan, China in December 2019, multiple media outlets around the world have reported an increase in the rates of domestic violence (DV). In part, this is the result of the stringent measures imposed by governments to reduce the spread of this deadly disease. Factors associated with DV have been exacerbated by the effects of restricted movements, increased time spent at home, financial hardships, increased parental stress, and rising unemployment linked to COVID-19. DV is defined in Kenya’s Protection Against Domestic Violence (PADV) Act 2015, as ‘any form of violence against a person, or threat of violence or of imminent danger to that person, by any other person with whom that person is, or has been, in a domestic relationship’. DV can manifest socially, psychologically, physically, sexually, emotionally, and financially (Obegi et al, 2017; Mangare et al, 2018). While DV affects both genders, more is known about male-perpetrated than female-perpetrated DV, and it is not clear whether what is known about male violence also holds true for female violence. Preliminary and anecdotal evidence suggests that domestic violence against men (DVAM) in Kenya has been on the increase in recent times (MAWE, 2017). While the true levels remain unknown, recent media reports show a significant increase in DVAM since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Keywords
COVID-19, Domestic Violence, Kenya