In a report released on Tuesday, US-based rights group, Human Rights Watch (HRW), cited the Kenyan government's failure to ensure access to health, economic, and social support services amid restrictions to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus, facilitated an increase in abuse against women and girls in the country. 

Hardship brought about by the pandemic was also said to have compounded the problem.

The 61-page investigation encompassed the findings of 26 interviews carried out between June 2020 and February 2021, including 13 gender-based violence (GBV) survivors, six NGO representatives, five relatives of girl survivors (four of which were parents), a Kenyan expert on gender-based violence, two government officials from POLICARE and the State Department for Gender Affairs.

The Kenyan national gender-based violence hotline, 1195, is run by Healthcare Assistance Kenya, an NGO that works with survivors of GBV.

The organisation revealed data indicating a "staggering" 301% increase in calls reporting violence against women and girls within the first two weeks of lockdown, between March and April 2020.

The National Crime Research Centre (NCRC) also relayed an 87.7% rise in GBV cases between April and June 2020, in which the Kenyan government restricted assembly and mobility due to COVID-19.

They elaborated on this discovery, noting, "in some cases, the perpetrators are close relatives, guardians and/or persons living with the victims."

HRW concludes that Kenyan authorities failed to prioritise the safety of women and girls in their COVID-19 response policies, contributing to a "largely insufficient and ineffective" course of action against GBV.

HRW's document calls for greater involvement of people with broad expertise in women's and girls' rights in public policy, including representatives from the Ministry of Public Service and Gender, to ensure the future safety of Kenyan women and girls.