Battered Women: A Socio-legal Perspective of Their Experiences in Nairobi

Abstract

The literature and research on domestic violence against women have received increased attention in the 1980’s and 1990’s, but research on wife beating/battering is still sparse. This paper reports from a research project in Nairobi that focused on the legal experiences of battered women and their perceptions of the violence. Findings reveal that the problem of battering is rampant and most battered women do not seek legal intervention. It was also found that a majority of the women remained in intimate relationships with their batterers due to economic dependence on the batterers and lack of alternatives outside the relationship