By P, KNA
More than 26 percent of women aged between 15 to 49 years in Siaya County have suffered violence from an intimate partner, a study conducted by the Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB), has revealed.
According to the study, 66.7 percent of the victims of Gender-Based Violence never report to the police, citing fear, stigma and distrust in the system as the major reason that keeps them silent.
Speaking during the launch of the Report, CMMB Regional Programs Manager, Hilary Ngeso, said that 97 percent of the perpetrators are known to the victims.
“They are often family members hence complicating reporting, due to cultural and familial pressure,” said Ngeso.
He said that the findings highlight a crisis that is undermining public health and social cohesion, an issue that raises serious questions about the social fabric of the community in Siaya County.
According to the Study, more than 62percent of survivors, do not seek medical care after experiencing violence, while 21 percent of those who do, arrive outside the recommended timeframe.
“With Siaya’s HIV prevalence already high, it means that GBV is contributing to new infections,” said Ngeso.
He said that the Study draws a direct line between GBV, transactional sex in high-risk sectors such as Boda-boda and events including Disco Matanga.
Ngeso said that alcohol and drug abuse were identified as the leading drivers of GBV as both were cited in 56 percent of cases, particularly linked to intimate partner violence and defilements. He called for candid conversation on how to change the trajectory of Siaya County.
The Siaya County Director of Public Health and Sanitation, Kennedy Odhiambo Orwenjo, lamented that GBV cases have been on the rise in the County because of non-reporting to authorities.
Orwenjo said most of the GBV victims who keep quiet are men who fear becoming a laughing stock among their peers.
“We encourage reporting of these cases, so that they can be followed-up and the culprits brought to book,” he said.