Program & Abstract Book - EPFL Latsis Symposium 2009

EPFL Latsis Symposium 2009: Understanding Violence
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an as s e s s m e n t o f t h e pr e v a l e n c e o f
se X u a l vi o l e n c e : a ca s e st u D y o f
na i v a s h a District
Mwangi, Maryann 1
1 St. Paul’s University, Limuru, Kenya
Poster Abstracts
Naivasha District has reported more rape cases and sexual assaults than
any other town in Kenya. Sexual violence is both a global and local problem
which is happening all around us. More women and children than
men, are affected, and it becomes difficult to detect and prosecute the
perpetuators as many incidents of rape and sexual assaults are committed
by friends and close family members. Despite documentation and the fact
that attention is being paid to the issue of sexual violence against women
at the International and local level, the problem is getting worse. The
purpose of this study is to find out why this District has been reported to
have such high incidences of sexual violence. A survey will be conducted,
which will involve dividing the District into 4 divisions. Questionnaires,
interview schedules, key informants and focus group discussions, will be
used as tools for data collection. A pilot study will be conducted in one
division to validate the tools for research. Data collected will be analysed
using SPSS Programme. This will assist the researcher in isolating the key
factors that make Naivasha to have high prevalence of rape with a view
of designing effective intervention mechanisms. It is hoped that the findings
of this study, will be useful to a larger extent to the local community,
Church and Government in their effort of eradicating gender violence and
child defilement which has contributed greatly to the spread of HIV and
AIDS.
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