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A cohort of youth ages 15โ24 in Nairobi, Kenya was surveyed at three time points over an month period prior to and during the COVID pandemic: JuneโAugust prepandemic , AugustโOctober month follow-up and May month follow-up. Overall, Among AGYW partnered at all three time points, Qualitative results speak to impacts of curfews, and pandemic-related financial stress in prompting conflict and threatening traditional gender roles, and underlying conditions that enable IPV.
Youth, including unmarried youth, remain a priority population for GBV prevention and survivor-centred response. Global evidence suggests increases in gender-based violence GBV among adult women following COVID mitigation efforts implemented beginning in early Women in Nairobi, Kenya are highly affected by GBV; increases in household tension and conflict among adult women have been reported since the start of the COVID pandemic, as have modest increases in household violence and increases in violence outside the home.
Adolescent girls and young women, including unmarried youth, are disproportionately affected by GBV, yet remain poorly understood with regard to COVIDrelated impacts; longitudinal data on risk trajectories are lacking. Qualitative data contextualise results and articulate the impact of curfews and financial stressors, as well as underlying conditions that enable abuse independent of the pandemic. Both primary prevention and survivor-centred support services are needed to meet the unique needs of AGYW and overcome the stigma of accessing care.
The disruption of the pandemic may afford a window to reset harmful underlying social norms and gendered social systems that perpetuate violence against young women with impunity. Gender-based violence GBV threatens health and human rights, with most severe consequences including injury and death.
