Economic toll of GBV: Kenya loses Sh41 billion annually, taskforce finds
The Technical Working Group on Gender-Based Violence, Including Femicide chairperson, Dr Nancy Baraza (centre), briefs the media after the conclusion of a public participation session at Moi Girls Secondary School on May 28, 2025.
What you need to know:
- Femicide claimed 725 lives in 2024, mostly by known individuals, highlighting an escalating national security and social crisis.
- Economic disempowerment fuels gender-based violence, undermining women’s productivity and costing Kenya up to 10 per cent in GDP losses.
Kenya is haemorrhaging Sh41 billion every year due to gender-based violence (GBV), including femicide, according to findings from the Nancy Baraza taskforce that underscore the devastating economic toll of violence against women.
The alarming figures were presented by Kenyatta University Women's Economic Empowerment Hub (KU-Wee), revealing a direct correlation between women's economic disempowerment and their vulnerability to violence.
"Sh41 billion per annum is a lot of money, and because of this massive loss, we need to treat or deal with GBV and femicide so that we can redirect the resources and time to improving our economy," said Dr Baraza, speaking during a plenary meeting for the working group at KICC.
She explained that the KU-Wee Hub had "addressed the taskforce on the impacts of GBV on the economy and given us specific figures on what GBV, including femicide, does to our economy."
The study revealed that survivors and their families bear significant financial burdens, with the average cost of care reaching Sh109,551 in Nakuru County and Sh111,113 in Makueni County. These costs encompass both direct expenses—such as medical bills, property damage, and lost income—and indirect costs including missed work and school days for children.
These findings echo a 2016 National Gender and Equality Commission survey that painted an equally grim picture. That study found the average medical expenses per survivor and family amounted to Sh16,464, whilst reporting incidents to chiefs and community structures cost Sh3,111. Police reports incurred costs of Sh3,756.
The productivity losses were staggering: Sh223,476 from serious injuries, Sh18,623 from minor injuries, and a devastating Sh5,840,664 from premature mortality due to GBV. The weighted cost per survivor and family was estimated at Sh24,797 annually.
At the national level, the 2016 study estimated annual out-of-pocket medical expenses at Sh10 billion, with productivity losses from serious injuries reaching Sh25 billion and Sh8 billion from minor injuries. The total loss amounted to Sh46 billion—approximately 1.1 per cent of Kenya's gross domestic product.
The violence extracts a heavy price from perpetrators and their families as well. They face approximately Sh33,000 in legal fees and about Sh105,000 in other litigation-related costs. Lost monthly income due to incarceration averages Sh28,000, with additional burdens from social stigma and court attendance.
A national crisis in numbers
The scale of the crisis is reflected in stark statistics. GBV prevalence in Kenya remains alarmingly high, with 35 per cent of women and girls affected. Kenya's economy loses between 7.8 and 10 per cent of its GDP to GBV, whilst global estimates suggest developing countries lose 1.2–3.7 per cent of their GDP to such violence. UN Women estimates the global impact at two per cent of worldwide GDP.
The 2024 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime report documented 725 femicide cases, translating to 2.66 per 100,000 women. This means 47 women are killed every week in Kenya, with approximately 75 per cent of these murders committed by someone known to the victim—an intimate partner, relative, or friend.
The 2022 Kenya Demographic Health Survey revealed that 40 per cent of women have experienced physical or sexual violence from their partners at least once. A 2024 report by the Centre for Rights Education and Awareness highlighted that over 3,762 GBV cases were reported in 2022, with 2,985 victims being women.
Sam Thenya, CEO of Nairobi Women Hospital, described femicide as "a societal issue" and called the situation "a national crisis." His hospital's GBV recovery centres record an average of 4,000 cases monthly—figures he said reflect "a deeply entrenched crisis that continues to claim lives and devastate communities."
Dr Baraza's taskforce, guided by academic expertise, has compiled data to "assess, review, and recommend measures to strengthen policy, legal, and institutional response to GBV, including femicide." The team has received concerning statistics about high GBV prevalence in local universities.
"We have also received submissions from scholars, including anthropologists and sociologists, gender mainstreaming experts, and theologians, from different local universities who have given us different perspectives on GBV, including femicide," Dr Baraza noted.
Particularly troubling are reports of frequent sexual abuse affecting children as young as three years old, often perpetrated by close family members.
The KU-Wee Hub is working to translate these research findings into actionable policy recommendations. Their initiatives include establishing digitalised GBV data collection platforms at county level, incorporating economic empowerment components into GBV recovery centres, and using cost data from recovery centres for better resource management.
The research underscores how GBV undermines women's economic wellbeing by limiting access to education, employment, and financial autonomy. Violence prevents women from leaving their homes, disrupts work functions, and diminishes productivity—ultimately creating a cycle where economic vulnerability increases susceptibility to violence.
