Wife battering is a cultural norm among Samburu community as majority of women in the County faced Gender based Violence (GBV) which goes unreported since it has been normalized.
Speaking during a public participation for the Technical Working Group (TWG) on GBV and femicide at the Maralal vocational center, Frank Leseketeti from Ngopiro Foundation, a Civil Society Organization, noted that Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is normalized in Samburu County because of negative cultural practices such as FGM, child marriage and beading. "Our culture treats women as children therefore exposing them to various forms of violations such as FGM, IPV and femicide which is an emerging trend in Samburu County," he said.
The participants pointed out that there was need for a vigorous sensitization exercise on what constitutes GBV because when women and girls are violated, they consider it as a normal cultural practice.
They further noted that Illiteracy played big contributing role in GBV prevalence in the county saying that there was need to constantly sensitize the Samburu community that wife battering was illegal. "Constant sensitization will empower women to come forward whenever they are violated and it will be a step towards eliminating GBV in our society," a resident of Maralal Dominic Lesimale said.
