A Qualitative Study of Urban Women's Experience and Coping Strategies Towards Domestic Violence During Covid-19 Lockdown in Kitengella, Kajiado County

Abstract

Domestic violence encompasses many forms of violence, including sexual, psychological (emotional), and physical abuse an intimate partner, a relation or a friend in a domestic setting. DV is a global social and public health concern that affects women more than men. During the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns over the rising cases of domestic violence across the globe and locally as lockdowns are implemented to curb the spread of the virus. This has resulted in several changes across the country and many women are trapped at home with their perpetrators leading to increased cases of DV. This calls for an investigation into the form of violence propagated against women and their coping strategies during the pandemic. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the experiences and coping strategies of urban women towards violence during the COID-19 lockdown in Kitengela in Kajiado County. The study was qualitative in nature, to enable the researcher to explore the experiences of urban women on the forms of violence, their causes, impacts and the ways the women cope with the experiences. Purposive sampling was used to select 15 participants aged 18-60 living with a spouse or a partner, and who are victims of domestic violence in Kitengela Town, in Kajiado county in Kenya. Purposive sampling was also used to select a chief, a social worker, and a religious leader. Data was collected using interviews and focused group discussions. Analysis was done thematically. From the findings, the most common forms of violence identified by the respondents were verbal, emotional, sexual, and physical abuse. Some of the strategies identified by the respondents to deal with domestic violence include; silence to prevent the verbal abuse from escalating to physical violence. Other strategies included sharing with friends, pastors, and other social figures with the purposes of relieving some of the stress and getting advice on how best to handle it. Some of the women left their homes while others decided to report the cases to the chiefs or other administrative offices. There were constraints facing women in accessing social help from friends and relatives due to the social distancing measures as well as the financial limitations that prevented them from traveling upcountry to report the abuse to the parents or other relatives. Generally, it was established that none of the strategies they had adopted were effective. The study recommends that women should be educated on the avenues and resources available for them to deal with domestic violence such as the local help centres, the legal platforms available for women subjected to domestic abuse.