Women leaders are calling for urgent government action to address an increase in Gender-Based Violence (GBV) cases in Mombasa, describing it as a silent crisis tearing families apart.
The leaders urged the government, police, schools, faith-based organisations, and community leaders to unite against all forms of GBV, including female genital mutilation and financial abuse, stressing that the response must match the scale of the crisis.
Advocate Fatma Bakari Barayan, who handles numerous GBV cases in the region, disclosed that GBV cases have increased by 45 per cent since 2022, noting that the problem cuts across gender, age, and social class, affecting women, men, and children in equal measure.
“GBV is not only about sexual harassment or sexual assault, but it extends to economic violence and emotional abuse. Children are being abused by the very parents meant to protect them. This is happening in our homes and in our neighbourhoods, and most of it goes unreported,” Barayan said.
Citing Articles 27, 28, and 29 of the Kenyan Constitution, Barayan reminded the public that every citizen is guaranteed the right to human dignity, freedom from discrimination, and protection from cruel treatment, rights that, though the articles, largely remain unknown to the communities that need them most.
To bridge this gap, she announced the launch of free legal clinics in Mombasa, where residents can consult practising lawyers and pursue justice at no cost.
“Winning a case in court is not the end. What comes next for the victim? We must think about mental health counselling, economic empowerment, and long-term rehabilitation,” she said.
Activist Sabrina Kanini said Mombasa, once a city of culture and civility, was grappling with cases unthinkable a generation ago, including parents abusing their own children and religious teachers implicated in abuse at the worship places.
She called on the government to block pornographic content on Google and all social media platforms, arguing that unrestricted access on smartphones was directly fuelling sexual violence among young people.
“We are asking the President himself to shut down this Google completely as it encourages pornographic content,” Kanini said, adding that teachers should alert parents discreetly when pupils show behavioural changes and that parents must monitor what their children access on their phones.
Zaina Baraka from Kisauni cited the unresolved court case of Josephine, who allegedly died at the hands of her intimate partner, and appealed to women to exit violent marriages.
“Do not wait until you end up in a mortuary; put your life first and move out of any abusive marriage,” said Kanini.
by Ramadhan Nassib
