Gender violence against men in Kenya

On Saturday 15th of November, K24 TV aired a disturbing story of a 71-year old man who was
sodomized by a group of thugs in Kikuyu Constituency, Kenya.
What strikes me about the story is that these acts are on the rise and it is extremely worrying.
What happened to being our brothers keeper?
Why are we being silent when our brothers, fathers, uncles, nephews, grandfathers are suffering
in silence?
What can we do as a society to curb this demeaning acts happening to our men?

Gender-based violence (GBV) is violence that is directed against a person on the basis of gender.
It constitutes a breach of the fundamental right to life, liberty, security, dignity, equality between
women and men, non-discrimination and physical and mental integrity.
Domestic violence against men is violence against men or boys in an intimate relationship such
as marriage, cohabitation, dating, or within a family. As with domestic violence against women,
the practice is often regarded as a crime, but laws vary greatly from place to place. Socio-cultural
norms regarding the treatment of men by women, and women by men tend to be very different
depending on the geographic region, and physically abusive behavior by one partner towards
another is regarded varyingly as a serious crime to a more personal matter.
Violence is all acts of gender-based violence that result in, or are likely to result in, physical,
sexual, psychological or economic harm, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary
deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.
Today, sexual violence against men and boys is less understood or acknowledged.
It is increasingly evident, nevertheless, that this is a recurrent protection concern in situations of
conflict and displacement.

Where social and cultural norms reinforce gender inequality by casting men as inherently strong
and expected to protect women and children, attacks on markers of gender identity are a

powerful weapon of war. Where social norms and taboos on sexuality and sexual orientation
marginalise or stigmatise same sex relations, sexualised attacks against men serve not only to
diminish their masculinity in their own eyes and the eyes of perpetrators, but can be interpreted
by the survivor, perpetrators, and the wider community to be an expression of his sexual
orientation or gender identity.

What influences gender violence against men in Kenya?

There are specific factors common that cause violence and they include; poor anger
management, antisocial personality disorders, borderline personality disorders, tendency to
dominate relationships, substance abuse, criminal history, posttraumatic stress disorders,
depression, communication problems, jealousy, sexual abuse as a child, stress, and a general
attitudinal approval of partner violence. Other factors include anger, revenge, skill deficiency,
head injuries, biochemical imbalances, feelings of powerlessness, lack of resources, and
frustration. Researchers have also found a correlation between the availability of domestic
violence services, increased access to divorce, higher earnings for women, and improved laws
and enforcement regarding domestic violence with declines in female perpetrated.
(examples)
What are the effects of violence against men?
Low self esteem
Physical scars
Withdrawal from society for fear of stigmatization
Fear and hatred towards people.
The most commonly referenced psychological effect of domestic violence is Post-Traumatic
Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD (as experienced by victims) is characterized by flashbacks,
intrusive images, exaggerated startle response, nightmares, and avoidance of triggers that are
associated with the abuse

The rise in the incidences of male battering dovetails with an increase in alcohol dependence
among males aged 25-34. In a recent national survey, many males in the age group stated they
consumed illicit brews in the hours before noon, which historically are considered the most
productive hours of the day.

Children and abuse

Domestic violence affects children, even if they're just witnesses. If you have children, remember
that exposure to domestic violence puts them at risk of developmental problems, psychiatric
disorders, problems at school, aggressive behavior and low self-esteem. You might worry that
seeking help could further endanger you and your children, or that it might break up your family.
Fathers might fear that abusive partners will try to take their children away from them. However,
getting help is the best way to protect your children and yourself.

Where to seek help

In an emergency, call 911 or your local emergency number or law enforcement agency. The
following resources also can help:

Someone you trust. Turn to a friend, relative, neighbor, co-worker, or religious or

spiritual adviser for support.

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-SAFE (800-799-7233). The hotline

provides crisis intervention and referrals to resources.

Your health care provider. Doctors and nurses will treat injuries and can refer you to
other local resources.

A counseling or mental health center. Counseling and support groups for people in
abusive relationships are available in most communities.

A local court. Your district court can help you obtain a restraining order that legally
mandates the abuser to stay away from you or face arrest. Local advocates may be
available to help guide you through the process.

Why are so many MEN becoming victims of domestic violence? It's one of Britain's last
remaining taboos, but abuse against men in the home is on the rise

More married men suffer abuse from their spouse than married women

These days, women move more in men's worlds

They earn and compete with as much aggression as their male colleagues

Women are also fast catching up with men in the alcohol stakes

Understand the needs of men and boy survivors

The following needs of boy and men survivors should be identified and addressed:

medical treatment
Physical consequences of sexual violence frequently include damage to the rectum and to the
genitalia, urinary and sexually transmitted infections, and sexual dysfunction.
Appropriate health services are frequently unavailable. Intrusive questioning by medical staff (or
fear of it) inhibits survivors from seeking assistance.

mental health
Psychological symptoms include loss of self-esteem, depression, hopelessness, anxiety, anger
(including desire for revenge), shame, humiliation, resentment, flashbacks, nightmares, guilt,
emotional numbing, aversion to being touched, withdrawal from domestic and social activities,
fear of certain people (such as soldiers or police) who remind the survivor of the perpetrators,
sleep and eating disorders, increased drug and alcohol consumption, and suicidal tendencies.

social health
In addition to difficulties in domestic relations, including abandonment by spouses, survivors
often experience loneliness and may be socially stigmatized or ostracized by their community if
their history becomes known. They may be excluded from places of worship, recreation,
and employment, in addition to losing the respect of their household. Fear that they will not be
believed prevents some survivors from seeking assistance. Many survivors are afraid that they

are no longer men, and young unmarried survivors may doubt their capacity to establish a
family.

livelihood support
Before, during, and after treatment, many survivors find they are not able to engage in work that
requires physical strength. While they recover from treatment, particularly from surgical
interventions, survivors may need income and housing support for six to twelve months.
Once a survivor is sufficiently recovered, assistance to re-establish a means of livelihood will
reduce the chances that he will need to resort to high risk survival strategies.

legal protection
Legal definitions of rape are often specific to women and children, making it impossible for adult
men to lay acharge of rape. Where same-sex relations are criminalised, male survivors are at risk
of being interrogated about their sexual orientation and prosecuted for having engaged in
same-sex activity. Many survivors do not report incidents because they lack confidence in the
judicial system. Failure to prosecute could increase the risk that SGBV offences may be
repeated.
Men also find it hard to cope with abusive relationships. In reality the situation is worse for men
because they cannot easily share their experiences. There is a silent but factual increase in the number
of men who are physically or psychologically abused by their spouses. Those silent men who are beaten,
denied sex and food, and locked out of houses could be are time bomb hazard. The affected men may
appear unhappy, lose their friends, become insecure and talk less. Some resort to spending most of their
life in bars a health risk factor that can lead to early death and escalation of HIV infections.

effects