Relationship Between Substance Abuse and Sexual Violence among Women in Informal Urban Settlements in Nairobi City County, Kenya

Abstract

Sexual assault is against the law in Kenya. Yet many people, particularly women and girls, continue to experience Sexual and Gender-based Violence (SGBV) without receiving much assistance, suggesting that the regulations in place are ineffective. Drug and substance abuse has also become prevalent, especially among persons living within informal urban settings. This with the attendant rise in cases of domestic and SGBV means that there is a growing need for a deeper understanding of the nexus between drug abuse and sexual violence against women, and in particular, within Nairobi's informal urban settlements. Many women in Kenya have experienced sexual or physical assault. The research sought to determine the relationship between substance abuse and sexual violence among women in Nairobi City County's informal urban settlements; The Social Learning Theory guided this research adopting a correlation study design with a target population of 139 women in the groups who have experienced GBV and SGBV. Using stratified selection and proportional sampling approaches, the Yamane formula was utilized to calculate the sample size of 106 respondents. Information was gathered through questionnaires. Descriptive statistics as well as inferential statistics like Pearson moment correlation and chi-square analysis, were used to analyse the data. From the study, it was indicated that both substance abuse and sexual violence have tremendous negative consequences on the health, socioeconomic, emotional, and psychological disposition of a person. The study also demonstrated the rise in drug and substance abuse led to an increase in cases of sexual violence. This shows that efforts to combat drug use and substance abuse have not been successful. Therefore, the study suggests that the government develop more potent methods of combating drug use and substance abuse