The National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC) has called for stronger and more accessible support systems for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, warning that stigma, inaccessible services and institutional failures can deepen the harm experienced by victims.
In an X update on Monday, the Commission said gender desks should provide survivors with timely access to medical care, psychosocial support, legal assistance and child-protection services, while ensuring that people with disabilities are not excluded from accessing help.
“Protection must translate into accessible services, timely action and justice. The Commission continues to advocate for accessible, survivor-centred and disability-inclusive gender desks that connect survivors to psychosocial support, medical care, legal assistance and effective child-protection services,” NGEC said.
The commission would monitor institutional responses, referral pathways and access to justice while working with duty bearers to address gaps in protection and accountability.
“No survivor should be silenced by stigma, inaccessible systems or institutional failure. Every survivor deserves dignity, safety, support and justice.”
The call comes amid continuing concern over the scale of gender-based violence in Kenya. The Kenya Demographic and Health Survey 2022 found that 34% of women aged 15 to 49 had experienced physical violence since the age of 15, while 16% had experienced physical violence in the 12 months preceding the survey.
The survey also found that 13% of women and 7% of men aged 15 to 49 had experienced sexual violence at some point in their lives. Among women who had ever been married or had an intimate partner, 41% had experienced some form of intimate-partner violence.
Recent justice-sector figures show the continuing pressure on institutions dealing with such cases. UN Women reported that 31,460 gender-based violence cases were filed in Kenya during the 2024-25 reporting period, compared with 31,176 the previous year.
The Judiciary concluded 31,880 cases, giving a case-clearance rate of 101%.
The problem also extends to children. Government data presented in May 2026 showed that 531 sexual and gender-based violence and morality-related offences were reported in Central Kenya between June 2025 and April 2026. Of these, 356 were defilement cases.
Nyeri recorded 93 defilement cases, followed by Kiambu with 87 and Murang’a with 75. Authorities said 515 cases were pending in court, while 10 remained under investigation and six were pending arrest.
NGEC has also raised concerns over technology-facilitated abuse, particularly the non-consensual sharing of intimate images.
“A private photograph can be copied in seconds and circulated far beyond the control of the person depicted. When intimate images are shared without consent, technology can become a vehicle for humiliation, harassment and re-victimisation,” the commission said.
It urged the public and social media users not to download, forward, repost or sensationalise abusive material involving survivors.
“The responsibility is simple: do not download, forward, repost or sensationalise abusive material. Protecting a survivor's privacy is not optional courtesy. It is part of respecting human dignity and the right to be free from degrading treatment.”
The warning comes as technology-facilitated gender-based violence becomes an emerging concern.
A 2024 study of students in three Nairobi tertiary institutions found that nearly 90% had witnessed technology-facilitated gender-based violence, while 39% had personally experienced it.
Female students were disproportionately affected, with 64.4% reporting at least one form of online violence compared with 35.5% of male students.
Kenya has established a national GBV helpline, 1195, to provide reporting and support services to survivors. UN Women says access to essential services through the helpline increased from 4,693 cases in 2020 to 8,894 in 2023.
NGEC maintained that survivor-centred services must remain at the centre of Kenya’s response, with institutions working together to ensure victims can safely report abuse, access care and pursue justice without facing further discrimination or trauma.