Survivor-Led Recommendations to Strengthen Prevention of Violence Against Women (VAW) in Nairobiã¢â‚¬â„¢s Informal Settlements

Background and Purpose

In Kenya's informal settlements, violence against women (VAW) is widespread, compounded by systemic poverty, patriarchal norms, and limited institutional response. Despite national commitments to address gender-based violence (GBV), including Kenya’s 2nd National Action Plan (KNAP II) and the National Policy on Prevention and Response to GBV, survivors’ lived experiences and recommendations are underrepresented in intervention design. This study centers the voices of women living in Kibera and Mathare, two of Nairobi’s largest informal settlements, to explore the support systems survivors need. Grounded in a public health-social work prevention framework, this research highlights survivor-led strategies for VAW prevention in informal settlements.

Methods

This qualitative study draws on in-depth interviews collected between March-June 2023 with 36 women IPV survivors, aged 20 to 59, as part of an ongoing study exploring facilitators and barriers to IPV and mental health screening and intervention in Kibera and Mathare. Interviews were audio recorded with the consent of participants and transcribed. Transcripts were thematically analyzed using a Primary/Secondary/Tertiary Prevention framework to organize findings. Emphasis was placed on survivors’ perspectives of current service gaps and recommendations for improving support systems.

Results

Survivors identified a range of unmet needs and proposed holistic interventions across prevention levels. At the primary level, women called for economic empowerment, localized community-based awareness campaigns, financial literacy training, substance abuse reduction, engagement of men and boys in gender-transformative education, healthy relationship training and legal literacy. At the secondary level, the need for confidential, trauma-informed healthcare, mental health and psychosocial support, peer support groups, emergency financial assistance and improved training for community health volunteers and religious leaders emerged. At the tertiary level, women recommended integrated one-stop centers offering legal aid, medical care, mental health counseling, and accountability. They also suggest eliminating service access barriers (e.g., transport costs), addressing stigma, and ensuring safety and confidentiality in support services. Cross-cutting themes included the demand for de-stigmatization and stronger government accountability and involvement in sustained intervention.

Conclusion and Implications

This study underscores the importance of integrating survivor voices into policy implementation and service design. By aligning survivor-led recommendations with Kenya’s existing GBV policy frameworks, the research highlights pathways for strengthening prevention and response infrastructure in low-resource settings. Findings call for cross-sector collaboration to build safe, accessible, and dignified support systems that empower women and dismantle cycles of violence in informal urban communities. Policy implications include scaling trauma-informed, survivor-led service hubs, funding mental health professionals in informal settlements, and embedding survivor perspectives into the implementation of national GBV commitments. These insights offer practical implications for social work practitioners, policymakers, and international development partners seeking to localize GBV prevention strategies in high-risk contexts.