Effects of lockdowns and quarantines on gender based violence in  Kakamega Central Sub-County, Kenya

In the first quarter of 2020, as the world went into lockdown, cases of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) rose exponentially. In Kenya, there was a reported increase of 36% in GBV cases in 2020, indicating a correlation between the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns and the surge in GBV incidents (Ministry of Gender and Social Services, 2020). Despite several accounts of this phenomenon, the perspectives of the victims have not received adequate attention. This study aimed to investigate the effects of COVID-19 lockdowns and quarantines on  GBV in Kakamega Central Sub-County. The specific objectives were to examine how COVID-19 lockdowns and quarantines contributed to the rise in GBV from the victim’s perspective. The study was guided by Routine Activity theory and adopted a mixed-method research design. Kakamega Central Sub-County in Kakamega County served as the research site. The sample size for this study was 270 GBV victims selected based on Taro Yamane’s sample determination formula. The target sample size of key informants were 27. Quantitative data were analyzed using cross-tabulation and summary statistics, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically using content analysis. The findings revealed that containment measures contributed to the increase in GBV, attributed to factors such as loss of employment, income, and difficulty in receiving social support. The study’s recommendations emphasize the importance of enhancing resilience among vulnerable groups, allocating additional resources to GBV response teams. The study’s conclusions will inform policy evaluation and refocusing efforts to counter gender-based violence in Kenya within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.