Intimate partner violence against women as a problem for development: a case study of Kibera, Kenya

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a fundamental problem that limits the economic and social development of women in Africa. Comprehending the causes is not straight-forward and this has had a ripple effect on the effectiveness and robustness of strategies meant to address IPV. IPV is becoming a significant obstacle to development owing to its weighty personal, economic, social, and political costs. The main objective of this study was to analyse IPV as it unfolds in the lives of women living in urban, informal settlements of Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya and to describe how it shapes their development. The researcher sought to develop a deeper understanding of IPV from a situated, intersectional perspective thereby extending the theoretical understanding of this phenomenon. A descriptive, qualitative research design was used. Multi-stage sampling, which comprised of simple random sampling, purposive sampling, and snowball sampling, was adopted. A total of 50 women who had suffered from IPV, and 10 key informants participated in the study. The findings illustrate that IPV took the form of physical assaults, and coercive or manipulative behaviour that resulted in physical, sexual, or psychological harm. Economic violence was not mentioned as a type of IPV, but, rather, it was cited as a cause and predisposing factor for IPV. The interviews revealed that alcohol and drug abuse, access to and control of household resources and the andro-patriarchal norms and values held by men were the most prominent factors influencing IPV in the informal settlements of Kibera. IPV exacerbated the effects of pre-existing medical conditions and had a detrimental effect on the sexual reproductive health of women particularly those who had been raped, leading to physical injuries, contracting sexually transmitted diseases or, in some cases, losing their unborn babies owing to miscarriages stemming from IPV. The findings underscore the fact that multiple factors intersecting in the personal, interpersonal, situational, and socio-cultural spheres feed interpersonal violence and IPV. The recommendations stress the need to draft, implement and exercise oversight over policies that seek to end IPV in the informal settlement. Advancing practical, all-inclusive mechanisms remains a formidable challenge.

Ubundlobongela phakathi kwabathandanayo (IPV) yingxaki ephambili ethintela uphuhliso lwezoqoqosho nentlalo yabasetyhini eAfrika. Ukuqonda izizathu zobu bundlobongela akuthanga ngqo kwaye oku kuye kwaba neziphumo zochaphazeleko ekusebenzeni nasekoyiseni kwezicwangcisoqhinga ezenzelwe ukujongana neIPV. I-IPV iya isiba ngumqobo obonakalayo kuphuhliso ngenxa yeendleko zayo ezinobunzima kwezobuqu, ezoqoqosho, ezentlalo kunye nezopolitiko. Injongo ephambili yolu phando ibikukuhlalutya i-IPV nanjengoko iqhubeka kubomi babo basetyhini abahlala kwiindawo zokuhlala zasedolophini ezingekho mthethweni zaseKibera, eNairobi, eKenya, kunye nokuchaza indlela i-IPV ebabumba ngayo aba basetyhini. Umphandi ebefuna ukuphuhlisa ukuqonda okunzulu kweIPV ngokwembono esekelwe kwithiyori yohlalutyomeko yezophuhliso ngokwesini nebala, ngaloo ndlela esandisa ukuqonda kwethiyori yale ngcamango. Kolu phando kusetyenziswe uyilo lophandontyilazwi oluchazayo. Kukwasetyenziswe indlela yokukhetha igcuntswana ledatha yezigaba ezininzi (multi-stage sampling) – eye yabandakanya ukukhetha igcuntswana ledatha ngokungabophelelekanga (simple random sampling), ukukhetha igcuntswana ledatha ngenjongo (purposive sampling) kunye nokukhetha igcuntswana ledatha ngokuncedwa leloo gcuntswana ledatha elisele likho (snowball sampling). Ngabasetyhini abangama50 bebonke abaye babangamaxhoba eIPV kunye ne10 labantu abaphambili abanolwazi ngesi sihloko abathe bathatha inxaxheba kolu phando. Iziphumo zibonisa ukuba i-IPV ivele ngokwempathombi ngokomzimba kunye nendlela yokuziphatha yokunyanzela okanye yokulawula ebangele ukonzakala komzimba, ngokwesondo okanye kwengqondo. Ubundlobongela ngokwezoqoqosho abukhankanywanga njengohlobo lweIPV; nto nje, bukhankanywe njengesizathu kunye nomba wokuba lixhoba leIPV. Udliwanondlebe lubonise ukuba ukusetyenziswa kakubi kotywala neziyobisi, ukufikelela nolawulo lwezibonelelo zasekhaya kunye nezithethe neenqobo zobusolusapho anazo amadoda zibe zezona zinto zibalaseleyo ezichaphazela i-IPV kwiindawo zokuhlala zasezidolophini ezingekhosemthetweni, zaseKibera. I-IPV izenza zibembi kakhulu iziphumo zeemeko zonyango ebezihleli zikho kwaye ibe nefuthe elibi kwimpilo yokuzala yabasetyhini, ngakumbi abo abakhe badlwengulwa ngaphambili, nto leyo ekhokelela ekonzakaleni emzimbeni, ukufumana izifo ezisulela ngokwabelana ngesondo okanye, kwezinye iimeko, ukulahlekelwa ziintsana zabo ezingekazalwa ngenxa yokuphuncuka kwesisu okusisiphumo seIPV. Iziphumo zigxininisa into yokuba imiba emininzi enqamleza kwimimandla yobuqu, yobudlelwana phakathi kwabantu, yemeko kunye nenkcubeko yezentlalo yiyo ephumela kubundlobongela obuphakathi kubudlelwana babantu kunye neIPV. Izindululo zolu phando zigxininisa imfuneko yokuqulunqa, ukufezekisa nokusebenzisa ulongamelo kulawulo lwemigaqonkqubo injongo yayo ikukuphelisa i-IPV kwindawo yamatyotyombe. Kuhlala kungumngeni omkhulu ukuqhubela phambili iindlela ezisebenzayo, ezibandakanya konke.

Udlame Phakathi Kwabathandanayo (IPV) yinkinga esemqoka ebeka umkhawulo ekuthuthukisweni komnotho nenhlalo yabantu besifazane e-Afrika. Ukuqonda izimbangela akuqondile futhi lokhu kube nomthelela omubi ekusebenzeni kahle nasekuqineni kwamasu okuhloselwe ukubhekana ne-IPV. I-IPV isiba yisithiyo esikhulu entuthukweni ngenxa yezindleko zayo ezinkulu, ezomnotho, ezenhlalo nezombusazwe. Inhloso enkulu yalolu cwaningo bekuwukuhlaziya i-IPV njengoba iqhubeka ezimpilweni zabesifazane abahlala emadolobheni, emijondolo yaseKibera, eNairobi, eKenya kanye nokuchaza ukuthi ikubumba kanjani ukuthuthuka kwabo. Umcwaningi ufune ukuthuthukisa ukuqonda okujulile kwe-IPV ngombono ohlola ukusebenzelana komphakathi, ngaleyo ndlela andisa ukuqonda kombono kwalesi simo. Kusetshenziswe umklamo wocwaningo oluchazayo. Ukusampula kwezigaba eziningi - okuhlanganisa ukusampula okungahleliwe, ukusampula okuhlosiwe kanye nokusampula okusekelwe esahlulelweni somcwaningi kwamukelwe. Isamba sabesifazane abangama-50 ababehlaselwe yi-IPV kanye nezimpimpi eziyisi-10 ezibambe iqhaza ocwaningweni. Okutholakele kubonisa ukuthi i-IPV yathatha uhlobo lokushaya ngokomzimba kanye nokuziphatha okuphoqayo noma okukhohlisayo okuholela ekulimaleni ngokomzimba, ngokocansi noma kwengqondo. Udlame lwezomnotho alukashiwo njengohlobo lwe-IPV; kunalokho, kucashunwe njengembangela kanye nesici esicatshangelwayo se-IPV. Izingxoxo ziveze ukuthi ukusetshenziswa kabi kotshwala nezidakamizwa, ukufinyelela kanye nokulawulwa kwezinsiza zasekhaya kanye nezinkambiso nezimiso zombono womphakathi ekubuseni kwabesilisa kwakuyizinto ezigqame kakhulu ezinomthelela we-IPV emijondolo yaseKibera. I-IPV yenze yaba mibi kakhulu imiphumela yezimo zezokwelapha ezazivele zikhona futhi yaba nomthelela omubi empilweni yokuzala yabesifazane, ikakhulukazi labo abadlwenguliwe, okuholela ekulimaleni ngokomzimba, ekungenweni izifo ezithathelwana ngocansi noma, kwezinye izimo, ukulahlekelwa yizingane zabo ezingakazalwa ngenxa yokuphuphuma kwezisu okuvela ku-IPV. Okutholakele kugcizelela iqiniso lokuthi izici eziningi eziphambanayo kumkhakha womuntu siqu, wokusebenzelana nabantu, wesimo kanye nowezenhlalo namasiko zithelela udlame phakathi kwabantu kanye ne-IPV. Iziphakamiso zigcizelela isidingo sokwenza uhlaka, ukuqalisa nokusebenzisa ukwengamela izinqubomgomo ezifuna ukuqeda i-IPV emijondolo. Ukuqhubekela phambili kwezindlela ezisebenzayo, ezibandakanya konke kuseyinselelo enkulu.