Funding crisis leaves GBV support groups stretched beyond capacity

GBV inflicts profound physical, emotional, and financial wounds on women.[iStockphoto]

After experiencing any form of gender-based violence (GBV), support remains critical to a survivor's healing and recovery.

 While public attention often focuses on medical treatment and justice immediately after the violence, the emotional, psychological and physical effects can last for years.

 Survivors need more than emergency treatment. They require legal assistance, psychosocial support, educational opportunities, family tracing and reintegration, and, in some cases, economic empowerment to help them rebuild their lives.

 Yet with limited government support, much of this responsibility falls on grassroots organisations, civil society groups and volunteers, many of whom rely heavily on donor funding to provide shelter and essential services.

 Stakeholders say these organisations are increasingly struggling under the weight of rising GBV cases and limited resources.

 One of the biggest challenges is the shortage of shelters for survivors.

 According to a 2023 report by UN Women Africa Office, Kenya had only 54 operational shelters and rescue centres across just 18 of the country's 47 counties. Of these, only two were government-run.

 Most shelters are operated by human rights defenders and civil society organisations and provide critical services, including temporary accommodation, counselling, legal support and skills training. However, many are chronically underfunded and operating beyond capacity.

 For some organisations, supporting survivors has become a daily struggle.

 Lilian Akinyi, a social worker at Maisha Girls Safe House, which mainly rescues girls under the age of 18 who have experienced sexual violence, says shelters often become the only safe place available to survivors.

 “Some of these girls are defiled by their fathers, uncles, caregivers, pastors and other people they trust. Sometimes the shelter is the only safe place they have,” she says.

 The facility offers temporary accommodation, usually for six months, although some cases require longer stays.

 “Sometimes we extend their stay because of unforeseen challenges, especially court cases. We have one case that has been in court for almost three years,” she says.

 Since January 2026, she says the shelter has handled 54 cases from different counties.

 For Beatrice Karore, founder of Wanawake Mashinani Initiative, which supports GBV survivors in Mathare's Mlango Kubwa area, running a shelter comes with numerous challenges.

 “Getting counsellors is difficult. Basic needs such as food, clothes and mattresses are also a challenge. We largely depend on sponsors and sometimes we have to use our own money just to continue supporting survivors,” she says.

 Karore says the organisation documented more than 3,000 GBV cases over the past year, including child defilement, rape and domestic abuse.

 The growing number of cases reflects a wider national problem.

 According to Alberta Wambua, Executive Director of the Gender Violence Recovery Centre (GVRC), the organisation receives about 350 new GBV cases every month across the country.

 The numbers, she says, often fluctuate with the seasons, with cases rising during school holidays and festive periods.

 “When schools are closed, we tend to record more cases involving children. Around festive seasons, domestic violence and rape cases also increase,” she says.

 Between April 2025 and March 2026, Wambua says GVRC supported approximately 3,200 survivors of gender-based violence.

 “About 90 per cent of our cases involve women and girls, while about 40 per cent involve children,” says Wambua.

 She notes that sexual violence and defilement account for the majority of cases involving children.

 Other forms of GBV include physical violence, emotional and psychological abuse, female genital mutilation (FGM), forced and child marriage, sexual harassment and online violence.

 Beyond the shortage of shelters, stakeholders point to several other barriers that continue to hinder efforts to address GBV.

 One challenge is limited public awareness of referral pathways and available services.

 “Many people do not know where to go or what steps to take after experiencing violence,” said Akinyi.

 Knowledge gaps also mean many survivors fail to seek urgent medical attention within the recommended 72-hour window following sexual assault.

 “Some victims remain at home and try to treat themselves even after physical injury or rape because they do not know what to do,” says Karore.

 Legal processes also remain a major obstacle.

 Akinyi says many cases are delayed by a lack of witnesses, lengthy court procedures and limited community participation.

 “Neighbors often do not want to get involved, yet they should be active bystanders and report cases,” she says.

 According to her, some cases take up to three years before a perpetrator is sentenced.

 Stakeholders also believe many GBV cases remain unreported, meaning the true scale of the problem could be far greater than current figures suggest.

 Karore notes that men and boys also experience abuse and defilement but often remain silent because of stigma.

 “Shelters for boys are almost non-existent,” she says.

 Mental health support is another critical gap.

 For many survivors, recovery begins with being heard, believed and supported without judgment. However, access to mental health and psychosocial services remains limited.

 A recent report by Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) cites a severe shortage of mental health professionals, high treatment costs, significant out-of-pocket expenses, poor service delivery and policy gaps as major barriers to accessing care.

 Funding remains a challenge as well. Mental health receives only 0.5 per cent of the national health budget, while most grassroots organisations rely on shrinking donor support.

Even after survivors leave shelters, many face an uncertain future. 

Some need to return to school. Others require family reintegration, alternative housing or support to start businesses and become financially independent. 

For grassroots organisations, helping survivors does not end when they leave a shelter. The challenge is ensuring they have a sustainable path forward.

 Stakeholders are now calling for urgent government intervention, including increased funding for GBV  and mental health programmes, establishment of more government-run shelters, strengthened mental health services, public awareness campaigns and improved support systems to help survivors rebuild their lives.

 Without greater investment, they warn, grassroots organisations will continue carrying a burden that is too heavy to bear alone.