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{
    "id": 1566068,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1566068/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 118,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "The Cabinet Secretary for Gender, Culture, the Arts & Heritage (",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "(ii) Economic factors: Poverty and unemployment. Financial stress can increase household tensions leading to violence. Women in economically dependent positions are more vulnerable. An economic disempowerment of women limits women's ability to leave abusive relationships or report violence. (iii) Legal and institutional gaps: Weak enforcement of GBV laws. Perpetrators often go unpunished due to corruption, poor policing or lack of evidence, inadequate protection mechanisms, lack of shelters, limited legal aid and psychosocial support services, which are wanting. (iv) Slow justice systems: Survivors may be discouraged from pursuing cases due to delays or traumatizing processes. (v) Political and conflict-related factors: Insecurity and conflict. During war or political unrest, GBV is often used as a weapon or becomes more prevalent due to breakdown of law and order and inadequate political support in some devolved units. (vi) Media technology: There is normalization of violence in the media. Exposure to violent content can desensitize audiences or perpetuate harmful gender norms. (vii) Cyberbullying and online harassment: Social media has become a new frontier for GBV, especially against women in public life. (viii) Alcohol and substance abuse: Increased use of alcohol and drug abuse are linked to impulsivity and aggression, often escalating violent behavior at homes and in public spaces. (b) Mr. Speaker, Sir, GBV remains a pervasive human rights issue in Kenya, affecting women, men and children across all socioeconomic backgrounds. Despite the existence of progressive laws such as the Sexual Offenses Act, 2006, the Protection Against Domestic Violence Act, 2015 and various provisions in the Constitution of Kenya, the enforcement of these legal frameworks continues to face significant obstacles. The institutional challenges undermine efforts to protect survivors, hold perpetrators accountable and deter future incidents of GBV. Addressing these systemic issues is crucial for achieving justice and fostering a society free from violence and discrimination. Institutional challenges include, and I emphasize- (i) Weak coordination among Government agencies. There is often a lack of coordination between key factors such as the police, judiciary, health services and social services. This fragmentation results in inconsistent responses and delays in case processing and inadequate survivor support. (ii) Inadequate capacity and training of law enforcement officers. Many police officers, prosecutors and judicial officers lack specialized training in handling GBV cases. This leads to mishandling of evidence, insensitive treatment of survivors and poor case outcomes. (iii) Limited resources and infrastructure. Critical institutions such as police stations, gender desks, shelters and forensic labs are under-resourced. This limits their ability to respond effectively to GBV incidents, especially in rural and marginalized areas. (iv) Corruption and impunity. Corruption within the justice system often leads to their dismissal or manipulation of these cases. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
}