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NAIROBI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Kenya’s president pledged millions of dollars in state funds on Friday to help tackle a surge in gender-based violence during the pandemic, outlining plans to open women’s shelters across the country and improve policing.
Uhuru Kenyatta said crime statistics showed cases involving violence against women had almost doubled between January and June 2020 compared with the previous year.
“Lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic and the pandemic’s social and economic impacts have increased exposure of women to physical, sexual and psychological violence, while at the same time limited their access to protective and recovery services,” Kenyatta told a conference on gender equality.