‘A fight between two people that sleep under the same blanket, stays there!’: gender, power, intimate partner violence in Kenya

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a complex social issue deeply rooted in the interaction of social, cultural, political and economic factors. As such, perceptions, prevalence and manifestations of IPV differ from one society to another. Qualitative studies that explore the cultural context of an affected population and how they interpret this phenomenon provide us optimal potential for understanding IPV and designing culturally appropriate prevention and intervention efforts. Given its complexity, a gendered analysis of this violence is warranted if we are to understand the nature and manifestation of men’s violence against women in the Global South. This study was a qualitative investigation of Kenyan women’s perceptions and experiences of IPV. Focus groups were conducted with women in the greater Nairobi area of Kenya, East Africa. Data were analysed using conventional content analysis. We use the Theory of Gender and Power as a framework to understand and interpret their perspectives and experiences. The sentiments of the women in this study reveal that socioeconomic factors, dominant social norms and institutions that sanction male authority and that allocate certain roles to men and women, contribute to IPV and limit women’s abilities to question this violence, and to seek assistance and/or leave abusive relationships.