- The neglect, abuse, disrespect, disempowerment, and coercion that women go through, particularly in the maternity and labour wards of health facilities across Kenya is not what she expected.
- Millions of Kenyan women, who seek maternal healthcare in private and public hospitals, face a failing healthcare system
As a little girl, Deborah Monari developed a strong sense of duty toward helping those in need and making meaningful contributions to her community.
She grew up to become a nurse, but what she witnessed in the industry she served in, shocked her.
The neglect, abuse, disrespect, disempowerment, and coercion that women go through, particularly in the maternity and labour wards of health facilities across Kenya is not what she expected.
Millions of Kenyan women, who seek maternal healthcare in private and public hospitals, face a failing healthcare system.
Humiliated. Neglected. Subjected to medical negligence. Denied dignified and quality care. Their basic human rights are violated.
But no one is held accountable.
Deborah realised that Obstetric Violence thrives in Kenya, yet nobody talks about it because women are conditioned to believe that this violence is acceptable.
Obstetric Violence (OBV) is a form of Gender Based Violence - one that rarely makes media headlines.
As a Nguvu Change Leader, the shocking stories that Deborah witnessed, propelled her to embark on an evidence-building journey against OBV.
Along with fellow change leaders Josephine Mwende and Harriet Afandi, she conducted a first-of-its-kind survey with almost 200 women and compiled a report detailing the OBV experiences of women throughout Kenya.
The results have now revealed the true story of the prevalence of deep violence.
94% of the surveyed women who experienced OBV silently suffered without reporting the incident.
What deterred many women from reporting was the perception that nothing would be done about it (38%) and concerns about stigma or shame (17%).
At Nguvu Collective, we believe long-lasting positive change can only be driven by those closest and most impacted by the problem - like Josephine, Harriet, and Deborah who led this survey and strive to bring about a change on this issue.
The survey highlights the urgent need to break down the cycle of silence around OBV.
This will be the first step in empowering women to demand accountability and justice for the violations they experience.
Kenyan healthcare providers, communities, and policymakers will need to engage with the OBV.
But all of us have a role as regular citizens too.
We could support survivors with the encouragement, support, tools, resources and platforms to speak out and advocate for their rights and dignity.
In doing so, we will collectively shift the narrative around Obstetric Violence and positively affect the lives of millions for generations.
Preethi Herman is the, CEO, Nguvu Collective