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Full-Text Articles in Gender and Sexuality
Commentary: Using Law More Effectively Towards Abandonment Of Fgm/C In Kenya, Agnes K. Meroka-Mutua
Commentary: Using Law More Effectively Towards Abandonment Of Fgm/C In Kenya, Agnes K. Meroka-Mutua
Reproductive Health
Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is considered a harmful cultural practice and a form of violence against women. Kenya has an FGM/C prevalence rate of 21 percent, but levels vary by ethnic group. Kenya has adopted a robust legal framework for the prohibition of FGM/C, including passage of the Prohibition of FGM Act in 2011, a detailed law that criminalizes carrying out FGM/C and associated offenses. Kenya relies on the human rights–based approach and criminalization in its legal framework for the prohibition of this practice. Despite extensive legal provisions, Kenya has prosecuted fewer than 100 cases, raising concerns with the law’s …
Lessons From A Five-Year Research Programme On Fgm/C And Their Relevance For Policy And Programmes In Kenya, Dennis Matanda, Agnes K. Meroka-Mutua, Samuel Kimani
Lessons From A Five-Year Research Programme On Fgm/C And Their Relevance For Policy And Programmes In Kenya, Dennis Matanda, Agnes K. Meroka-Mutua, Samuel Kimani
Reproductive Health
The Sustainable Development Goals target the elimination of all forms of harmful practices, including female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) by 2030. Kenya has made progress in addressing the elimination of FGM/C through ratification of global instruments and enactment of the Prohibition of FGM Act in 2011 and other supportive laws. The Act created the foundation for the establishment of the Anti-FGM Board, which provides policy leadership and coordination of anti-FGM/C programs in Kenya. More recently, the President of Kenya issued a decree for accelerated elimination of FGM/C by 2022. This synthesis report highlights how evidence generated over the last five years …
A Diagnostic Assessment Of The Health System's Response To Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting Management And Prevention In Kenya: A Case Study Of West Pokot County, Samuel Kimani
Reproductive Health
Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), a pervasive cultural practice in some contexts, is associated with negative impacts on women’s and girls’ health and rights. The health sector is well positioned to respond to the prevention of FGM/C and the management of its complications because of its primary role in disease prevention, health promotion, and curative services. In Kenya, the health sector’s role is anchored in national and county legal and policy instruments and guidelines that are adopted or customized from global or regional frameworks as well as skills support tools approved by the World Health Organization. This brief highlights findings from …
Understanding Local Variation In How Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting Declines, Changes, Or Persists: Analysis Of Household Survey Data For Kenya, Nigeria, And Senegal, Population Reference Bureau
Understanding Local Variation In How Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting Declines, Changes, Or Persists: Analysis Of Household Survey Data For Kenya, Nigeria, And Senegal, Population Reference Bureau
Reproductive Health
Efforts to eliminate female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) intensified in many parts of Africa following a 2012 United Nations General Assembly Resolution, but change has been uneven. Important evidence gaps remain in our understanding of why the practice declines, changes, or persists in specific locations. Policymakers and program planners need such information to better tailor interventions to address local patterns and focus resources on abandonment efforts in areas with the greatest needs. To fill these gaps, researchers with the Evidence to End FGM/C consortium analyzed nationally representative household survey data for Kenya, Nigeria, and Senegal. The results of their research identify …
Autonomy, Intimate Partner Violence, And Maternal Health-Seeking Behavior: Findings From Mixed-Methods Analysis In Kenya, Charlotte E. Warren, Pooja Sripad, Charity Ndwiga
Autonomy, Intimate Partner Violence, And Maternal Health-Seeking Behavior: Findings From Mixed-Methods Analysis In Kenya, Charlotte E. Warren, Pooja Sripad, Charity Ndwiga
Reproductive Health
Gendered norms and discriminatory practices often limit women’s decision-making power, which over time can lead to social norms that systematically disadvantage women. Aspects of empowerment were explored in a global evaluation of Demographic and Health Survey data that measured how gendered social norms influenced maternal health-seeking behaviors. Analysis specifically explored associations of women’s autonomy and acceptability of intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) on antenatal care use and facility delivery in 63 low- and middle-income countries. Service utilization is positively associated with increased autonomy and negatively associated with increased acceptability of IPVAW, but variability exists across countries and regions. In …
Associations Between Fgm/C And Hiv In Ethiopia, The Gambia, Kenya, And Sierra Leone: A Limited Analysis Of Demographic And Health Survey Data, Yetunde A. Noah Pinheiro, Zhuzhi Moore, David Gathara
Associations Between Fgm/C And Hiv In Ethiopia, The Gambia, Kenya, And Sierra Leone: A Limited Analysis Of Demographic And Health Survey Data, Yetunde A. Noah Pinheiro, Zhuzhi Moore, David Gathara
Reproductive Health
Studies investigating the association between male circumcision and HIV have demonstrated the protective effect of male circumcision. In some settings, FGM/C and male circumcision are considered “equivalent” procedures. This working paper presents findings of a study that investigates the effect of FGM/C on the likelihood of HIV infection for women in practicing communities in Ethiopia, Gambia, Kenya, and Sierra Leone.
Kenya's Fertility Transition: Trends, Determinants And Implications For Policy And Programmes, Ian Askew, Alex C. Ezeh, John Bongaarts, John Townsend
Kenya's Fertility Transition: Trends, Determinants And Implications For Policy And Programmes, Ian Askew, Alex C. Ezeh, John Bongaarts, John Townsend
Reproductive Health
In Africa, fertility rates in the 1990s declined less rapidly than had been projected, and in a few cases the fertility transition appears to have stalled. This development has serious implications for future population growth because projected population size is sensitive to minor variations in current fertility trends. The 16 countries with three DHS surveys in sub-Saharan Africa can be divided into three subgroups: stalled transitions, insignificant declines, and significant declines. Half of the 16 countries experienced a stall, and an additional two experienced insignificant declines. The Population Council prepared a series of demographic and policy analyses that drew from …
Standards Required In Maintaining The Chain Of Evidence In The Context Of Post Rape Care Services: Findings Of A Study Conducted In Kenya, Carol Ajema, Emily Rogena, Hadley Muchela, Buluma Bwire, Nduku Kilonzo
Standards Required In Maintaining The Chain Of Evidence In The Context Of Post Rape Care Services: Findings Of A Study Conducted In Kenya, Carol Ajema, Emily Rogena, Hadley Muchela, Buluma Bwire, Nduku Kilonzo
Reproductive Health
Sexual violence (SV) is a serious societal problem that creates significant challenges to local communities in their attempt to create an overall plan for meeting the medical, emotional, physical safety, and legal needs of SV survivors. It is important to understand the existing links between the health sector and police as a basis for addressing the complexities surrounding SV. Appropriate management of SV survivors requires a standardized clinical evaluation, an effective interface with law enforcement for the handling of forensic evidence, and coordination of the continuum of care. From the public health perspective, the issues to be addressed revolve around …
The Making Of The Kenya Sexual Offenses Act, 2006: Behind The Scenes, Washington Onyango-Ouma, Njoki Ndung'u, Nancy Baraza, Harriet Birungi
The Making Of The Kenya Sexual Offenses Act, 2006: Behind The Scenes, Washington Onyango-Ouma, Njoki Ndung'u, Nancy Baraza, Harriet Birungi
Reproductive Health
Kenya’s enactment of the Sexual Offenses Bill in 2006 was a milestone in dealing with sexual offenses and gender-based violence. The bill is Kenya’s first legal recognition of the many sex crimes that occur in the country. Among other things, the law criminalizes deliberate transmission of HIV/AIDS and provides rape victims with free medical care and counseling in public institutions. Convicted rapists will now face a minimum sentence of ten years, while a maximum penalty will be life imprisonment. A retrospective study was conducted to document the process leading to the enactment of the law. The objective was to document …
An Assessment Of Sexual And Gender Based Violence In Wajir District, North Eastern Kenya, Gladys K. Mwangi, Jaldesa Guyo
An Assessment Of Sexual And Gender Based Violence In Wajir District, North Eastern Kenya, Gladys K. Mwangi, Jaldesa Guyo
Reproductive Health
A 2006 baseline survey conducted by CARE Kenya indicated that sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is widespread throughout Kenya’s North Eastern Province. Other findings revealed that high levels of stigma and gender imbalances are associated with sexual violence and female genital mutilation (FGM) and that a coordinated approach to responding to the service needs of survivors is missing. As noted in this report, there is limited awareness of the legal mechanisms available to survivors. The Population Council’s study in Wajir District ascertained the need for and possible components of an integrated and comprehensive services model that could meet the needs …
A Religious Oriented Approach To Addressing Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting Among The Somali Community Of Wajir, Kenya, Maryam Sheikh Abdi, Ian Askew
A Religious Oriented Approach To Addressing Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting Among The Somali Community Of Wajir, Kenya, Maryam Sheikh Abdi, Ian Askew
Reproductive Health
The Somali ethnic community, in Kenya as well in Somalia, Djibouti, and Ethiopia, has practiced genital cutting for centuries and the practice appears to have remained largely unchanged. The community practices the severest form of FGM/C, type III or infibulation. The Population Council’s FRONTIERS program, with support from USAID/Kenya, carried out two studies to better understand the practice of FGM/C among the Somalis in North Eastern Province so as to inform the design and implementation of interventions that would encourage abandonment of the practice. Both studies collected data through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with community and religious leaders, …
Mainstreaming Emergency Contraception In Kenya: Final Project Report, Jill Keesbury, Wilson Liambila, Francis Obare, Paul Kuria
Mainstreaming Emergency Contraception In Kenya: Final Project Report, Jill Keesbury, Wilson Liambila, Francis Obare, Paul Kuria
Reproductive Health
For more than a decade, advocates have sought to improve access to emergency contraception (EC) around the world. These efforts have been highly successful in Europe and North America, have generated much debate in Latin America, and are beginning to take hold in Asia. In Africa, however, the success of EC programs remains limited. Even in countries where the regulatory environment is favorable, resource constraints within the public sector limit the ability to provide consistent and quality EC services at low cost. In a growing number of African countries, the private sector has emerged to fill these gaps, increasing access …
Sexual Violence: Setting The Research Agenda For Kenya, Catherine Maternowska, Jill Keesbury, Nduku Kilonzo
Sexual Violence: Setting The Research Agenda For Kenya, Catherine Maternowska, Jill Keesbury, Nduku Kilonzo
Reproductive Health
This research agenda is the result of a stakeholders’ meeting held in Nairobi on June 11–12, 2008, that identified, developed, and prioritized areas for research on sexual violence in Kenya. The meeting was convened by the Population Council, Liverpool VCT, Care & Treatment, and the International Centre of Reproductive Health, Kenya. Kenya’s research agenda is premised on the need to generate the evidence required to impact policy formulation and services strengthening. Knowledge gaps that form the basis of key research areas identified include the need to: 1) Understand the nature, contexts, and prevalence of sexual violence; 2) Document and evaluate …
Kenya: Training Can Enhance Providers' Management Of Fgm/C And Willingness To Advocate Against The Practice, Population Council
Kenya: Training Can Enhance Providers' Management Of Fgm/C And Willingness To Advocate Against The Practice, Population Council
Reproductive Health
In 2004, FRONTIERS collaborated with UNICEF on a study of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in Kenya’s Somali community and on ways of managing maternal care for cut women. The study showed that the health-care system in North Eastern Province, where many Somalis live, is ill prepared to deal with women who have been cut, particularly infibulated women who are pregnant or delivering. The study recommended improving providers’ ability to counsel and treat pregnant cut women as part of an overall improvement of maternal care, and strengthening providers’ role as behavior change agents within communities. In 2005, FRONTIERS launched an intervention …
Kenya And Ethiopia: Community And Religious Leaders Are Effective Advocates For Hiv Testing For Young Couples, Population Council
Kenya And Ethiopia: Community And Religious Leaders Are Effective Advocates For Hiv Testing For Young Couples, Population Council
Reproductive Health
Early marriage is common for girls in much of sub-Saharan Africa. A common belief is that marriage protects them from HIV, but studies show that married girls are at much higher risk from HIV and from maternal morbidity and mortality. FRONTIERS conducted operations research in Ethiopia and Kenya to assess the acceptability and feasibility of community-based interventions to raise awareness of the HIV risks of early marriage and promote the use of HIV counseling and testing (C&T) services by couples. The studies were an initial phase in a planned four-year intervention; this brief reports on the feasibility of the approach. …
Multisectoral Youth Rh Interventions: The Scale-Up Process In Kenya And Senegal, Stephanie Joyce, Ian Askew, Anta Fall Diagne, Nafissatou J. Diop, Humphres Evelia
Multisectoral Youth Rh Interventions: The Scale-Up Process In Kenya And Senegal, Stephanie Joyce, Ian Askew, Anta Fall Diagne, Nafissatou J. Diop, Humphres Evelia
Reproductive Health
As in many developing countries, young people in Kenya and Senegal (aged 10–20) account for about 25 percent of the population. To ensure their future contribution to their countries, it is of vital strategic importance to safeguard their welfare. Rapid social change in both countries exposes youth to sexual and reproductive health (RH) risks, including unintended pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections including HIV, and sexual violence. Beginning in 1999, the Population Council’s FRONTIERS program conducted operations research studies that tested the feasibility, acceptability, and cost of a public-sector, multisectoral intervention to enhance young people’s RH knowledge and behavior. Study findings showed …
Adapting Focused Antenatal Care: Lessons From Three African Countries, Harriet Birungi
Adapting Focused Antenatal Care: Lessons From Three African Countries, Harriet Birungi
Reproductive Health
In 2001, the World Health Organization issued guidance on a new model of antenatal care (ANC) called goal-oriented or focused antenatal care (FANC), for implementation in developing countries. The new model reduces the number of required antenatal visits to four, and provides focused services shown to improve maternal outcomes. FANC emphasizes helping women maintain normal pregnancies by identifying existing health conditions, detecting emerging complications, promoting health, preparing for a healthy birth, and educating clients on postpartum care including nutrition, breastfeeding, and family planning. Trials conducted in Argentina, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand proved that FANC was safe and was a …
Kenya: Islamic Scholars Find No Religious Justification For Fgm/C, Population Council
Kenya: Islamic Scholars Find No Religious Justification For Fgm/C, Population Council
Reproductive Health
In 2004, FRONTIERS undertook a study on the cultural basis of female genital mutilation and cutting (FGM/C) in Kenya’s Somali community. The study showed universal support for FGM/C, and indicated that one of the major justifications is the perception that Islam requires female as well as male genital cutting. Interviews with informants showed that belief in the religious justification overrides arguments about the health and human rights aspects and the knowledge that it is illegal in Kenya. In 2005, FRONTIERS launched an intervention to engage the community in discussions about FGM/C to clarify the religious position. FRONTIERS arranged symposia involving …
Malaria In Pregnancy Pilot Projects Nationally Adopted In Kenya And Malawi, Population Council
Malaria In Pregnancy Pilot Projects Nationally Adopted In Kenya And Malawi, Population Council
Reproductive Health
Kenya and Malawi have developed national policies to prevent malaria in pregnancy. Measures to prevent malaria among antenatal clients were shown to be sustainable several years after pilot interventions ended. In Malawi, the approach has been expanded nationwide. In most malaria-endemic areas of Africa, women in their first and second pregnancies have the highest risk of acquiring malaria and, consequently, of malaria-associated anemia and low birth-weight. Two USAID-funded interventions aimed at strengthening the prevention and management of malaria in pregnancy were pilot-tested at the district level in Kenya (1998–2002) and Malawi (1998–2004). As noted in this brief, the goal was …
Kenya: Integrating Services For Fp And Hiv Improves Quality And Hiv Testing, Population Council
Kenya: Integrating Services For Fp And Hiv Improves Quality And Hiv Testing, Population Council
Reproductive Health
The Kenyan government’s reproductive health policy highlights service integration and quality of care. While integrating counseling and testing (C&T) for HIV into family planning (FP) can potentially increase the range of services to clients at risk from sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV, few studies have documented the feasibility, effects, or costs of such integration. From 2005–07, the Population Council worked with the Kenyan Ministry of Health to test the feasibility of two models for integrating C&T into existing FP services. Both models featured client education on HIV prevention during FP visits. Providers were trained to routinely use the Balanced …
Tuko Pamoja: Adolescent Reproductive Health And Life Skills Curriculum, Path, Population Council
Tuko Pamoja: Adolescent Reproductive Health And Life Skills Curriculum, Path, Population Council
Reproductive Health
As they move through adolescence, young people begin to have different kinds of relationships with their peers, family members, and adults; good communication and other skills can help ensure that these relationships are satisfying and mutually respectful. Young people need to learn to manage new feelings about sexuality to make responsible decisions about their health, reproduction, and parenthood. This manual, the second edition of the Kenya Adolescent Reproductive Health Curriculum, is for teachers; community, religious, and youth group leaders; health care professionals; and anyone working with young people. The curriculum is designed to delay sexual debut and promote sexual and …
Female Genital Mutilation In Kenya: Evidence Links Health Workers To Fgm, Population Council, Gtz
Female Genital Mutilation In Kenya: Evidence Links Health Workers To Fgm, Population Council, Gtz
Reproductive Health
Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a traditional practice that affects women and girls in several African countries. It is practiced in a variety of ways, classified by WHO into four broad types all found in Kenya. In some communities it is associated with passage into maturity; in others, it is considered a symbol of ethnic identity, a religious obligation, or a necessary prerequisite for marriage, either through symbolizing attainment of womanhood or as a means of preserving and demonstrating virginity. FGM is considered a harmful traditional practice because it may be associated with a variety of short- and long-term health …