Assessing the impact of 2007/08 post election violence on the girl child in the Kibera slum, 2008-2013

Abstract

Kenyan post-election violence and to ascertain how such impact did affect the girl child’s positive beliefs and behaviour in actualizing her dreams in Kibera slum. Specifically, the study seeks to examine the causes and impact of the post-election violence in Kibera slum, determine if there was any gendered relationship in the impact of the violence on the girl child, discover if the girl child used any strategies to cope with the violence and establish if the coping mechanisms led to the girl child life’s success or failure after the violence. The study was conducted in Nairobi’s Kibera slum. It adopted a survey design through interviews and questionnaires. The subjects of the study comprised 75 questionnaire respondents and 16 interviewees from a representative population of the Kibera slum administrative units (villages). Three sessions of different discussion groups were also held. Purposive, quota and snowballing sampling procedures were used to sample the study respondents. The data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The study utilized Anomie strain and feminist theory. The Anomie strain theory argues that delinquency results from the blockage of goal-seeking behavior. Unable to achieve valued goals, regardless of the causal factors thereto, individuals become frustrated and may turn to criminal acts or other forms of anti-social behaviour as a result. This helps the study in investigating the causes and gendered impact of the post-election violence on the Kibera girl child. The feminist theory on the other hand analyzes the status of the girl child in the society as defined by male dominant culture. The study found out that the girl child in Kibera slum was largely impacted by the political violence due to her vulnerability. Respondents across the age groups and gender reported diverse impacts on the side of the girl child. Despite the optimism in their coping mechanisms, the impacts of the political violence seemed to have had tow on the girl child’s otherwise bright future.The study mentions adaptive coping approaches to adversity on the part of the girl child including adaptation of new skills, counseling, and joining therapeutic groups. The regime and her partners should guarantee respect of the rule of law and human rights discouraging harmful cultural prejudices in support of the girl child.