BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE PREVENTION AND RESPONSE POLICIES IN BUSIA COUNTY, KENYA
Abstract
Purpose of the Study: To assess the barriers and facilitators to the implementation of gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response policies in Busia County, Kenya, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the legal and policy frameworks addressing GBV.
Problem Statement: Despite Kenya’s comprehensive legal and policy framework for GBV, including the Sexual Offences Act (2006) and the Protection against Domestic Violence Act (2015), Busia County continues to record disproportionately high levels of GBV. Enforcement of these frameworks at the community level remains fragmented, and survivors continue to face barriers such as stigma, fear of retaliation, and limited access to support services.
Methodology: The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional design, combining a quantitative survey of 340 community members selected through stratified random sampling with qualitative evidence from key informant interviews involving county government officials, law enforcement officers, health care providers, and civil society representatives. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively using SPSS, while qualitative data were analysed thematically and triangulated with the survey findings.
Result: Awareness of GBV policies was relatively high (65.3%), yet only 38.8% of respondents, or someone close to them, had ever sought help through existing GBV mechanisms. Corruption (66.2%), inadequate resources (65.9%), and lack of institutional trust (65.6%) were the most frequently cited barriers to implementation, followed by family pressure (62.6%), cultural resistance (60.6%), poor stakeholder coordination (55.9%), cultural taboos (52.6%), and limited public awareness (49.1%). Just over a third of respondents (36.8%) rated existing policies as not effective.
Recommendation: The study recommends increased county financing for GBV programmes, strengthened multisectoral coordination, expanded community awareness campaigns, improved accessibility of survivor-centred services, and greater institutional accountability to reduce corruption and rebuild public trust.
Keywords: gender-based violence, policy implementation, barriers and facilitators, Busia County, Kenya, Feminist Theory.
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