Let's step up efforts to end abuse of children

School-Related Gender-Based Violence (SRGBV) affects millions of children, families and communities. It involves acts or threats of sexual, physical or psychological assault that occur in and around schools.

SRGBV has very real consequences in learners’ lives, ranging from low self-esteem and depression to early pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections such as syphilis, gonorrhoea and HIV/Aids.

The violence of this nature also has a serious impact on education outcomes, with many learners avoiding school, achieving below their potential or dropping out of school altogether.

There has been an exponential increase in reported cases of abuse against children since the onset of Covid-19 in March when learning institutions were closed down. The increase in child abuse cases captured the attention of the Cabinet, which approved an Inter-Agency Programme to prevent and respond to Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in the context of Covid-19. The Cabinet noted that during the coronavirus pandemic, there has been a marked upsurge in domestic violence, GBV and violation of the rights of children.

Thousands of children, according to the Gender Violence Recovery Centre (GVRC), have been abused since schools were closed. Those children may not return to school and those who will go back with wounds that need urgent attention. GBV can affect many aspects of an individual’s life. It can lead to aggressive behaviour either towards others (like fighting, hurting, harming) or towards self (self-harm and suicidal behaviour).

The local media has been awash with disturbing stories about hundreds of underage school girls who have been impregnated during Covid-19 lockdown. The articles cited data from a recently released Kenya Government Health Information Survey.

However, as the virus graph gradually goes down, learning will soon return to normal and therefore it is crucial for the Ministry of Education to start planning how schools will accommodate pregnant learners and young mothers, besides supporting vulnerable children psychologically, socially and academically.

According to GVRC data, from March to August 30, 2020, some 1,145 children reported to nine GVRCs having gone through different forms of abuse. This forms 59.6 per cent of the GBV cases reported within the centres during the period. Sexual violence-related cases (defilement) represented 90 per cent, while physical violence and neglect were at 10 per cent.

Out of the cases reported, 77 teenagers were pregnant and out of these 17 had been infected with HIV. Some of the children who were abused attempted to keep their predicament secret.

There is a possibility many other children have been abused during this pandemic but have not reported or opened up to their parents. As a result, the learners may not give attention to education when schools reopen and instead project negative behaviours that will affect their personal and study life.

It is against this backdrop that Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) has partnered with Gender Violence Recovery Centre to eliminate all forms of gender-based violence in educational institutions.

Knut established the Gender Desk in 2011 to realign the union with the constitution, and also to conform with the best global practices. Since then, Knut has been on the frontline in the fight against harmful gender practices, such as child and forced marriages, FGM, arbitrary deprivation of liberty, honour killings, trafficking for sex and slavery, intimate partner violence, emotional or psychological violence, among other abuses.

In the last nine years, the Gender Desk has put in place various strategic programmes in the fight against SRGBV and the results are encouraging.

The partnership with GVRC widely seen as timely comes at a period when the union has embarked on a massive campaign to drive back to school the girl-child after a hiatus seven-month absence from the classroom due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Through the Gender Desk, Knut in collaboration with GVRC plans to focus on a wide range of programmes. The partnership at initial stages will apply a whole school approach to prevent school-related GBV; engaging teachers to create safe and gender-responsive learning environment; shifting harmful gender norms through curricular approaches; establish safe and confidential reporting mechanisms; invest in data and evidence to inform the response to SRGBV and to integrate SRGBV into national policies and Education Sector Plan.

Mr Sossion is a nominated MP and Secretary General of Knut