REPORT OF THE TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP ON GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE (GBV) INCLUDING FEMICIDE

Gender-Based Violence (GBV), including femicide, represents a severe violation of Kenya’s constitutional rights to life, equality, dignity, security, and access to justice, while posing a significant barrier to national development and gender equality goals. The pervasive nature of GBV, marked by a 10% rise in femicide cases from 2022 to 2024, predominantly affecting women aged 30–44, is driven by patriarchal norms, economic dependency, harmful cultural practices, and weak family structures. Underreported forms such as economic, psychological, and technology-facilitated abuse, alongside vulnerabilities in conflict, migration, and climateaffected contexts, exacerbate the crisis. Fragmented, underfunded, and trauma-insensitive response systems, coupled with inadequate legal frameworks and community-level obstructions, perpetuate impunity and hinder justice….