Gender-based violence (GBV) in Kenya remains a critical and pervasive public health, human rights, and socio-economic concern. Despite a robust legal and policy framework, including the Constitution of Kenya (2010) and the National Policy on Prevention and Response to GBV (2014), GBV continues to be deeply rooted in Kenya’s cultural, institutional, and economic systems. Survivors face widespread stigma, fear of retaliation, fragmented services, weak enforcement of laws, and limited access to justice and psychosocial support.
To inform evidence-informed policy and programming, a targeted literature review was conducted using PubMed. Out of 34 retrieved studies, nine met the inclusion criteria for examining interventions and system responses that support GBV survivors in Kenya. These studies reveal persistent service delivery gaps but also highlight promising interventions, including multisectoral coordination, forensic system strengthening, survivor-centered economic empowerment, community-based mental health support, and digital innovations for survivor protection.
This evidence brief synthesises key findings from these studies and provides recommendations for strengthening Kenya’s response to GBV. A coordinated, survivor-centered, and multisectoral approach, integrating health, legal, economic, psychosocial, and technological interventions, is critical to ensuring that survivors of GBV receive dignified, timely, and effective support.