“Look at their Bodies…, their Bodies Speak Volumes about Themselves”: Community Perceptions of Consent

Abstract

Cultural, social, and legal factors all have an impact on the delicate and complex issue of school girls’ sexual consent in Kenya. This study investigated the community and environmental factors related to sexual violence against school-aged girls and consent in Kitui South Sub-county, Kenya. Twenty-five in-depth interviews were conducted with key Kitui Sub-County stakeholders. Individuals between the ages of 18 and 65 from the police, health, education, community, religious leaders, and criminal justice sectors were eligible to participate. The data were analyzed using conventional content analysis. Responses from stakeholders revealed diverse interpretations of consent based on the physical development of girls during puberty and other subjective variables. Being girls of the land, legal versus cultural understanding and girls being responsible for men’s desires were the three major themes associated with this finding. These findings highlight significant obstacles in applying and ensuring perpetrator accountability through the existing legal system and policy frameworks that clearly define consent to protect girls.