On 11 September 2025, survivors of post-election sexual violence (PESV) and civil society organizations filed a partial appeal to the Supreme Court of Kenya. The appeal challenges the Court of Appeal’s 8 August 2025 judgment in Civil Appeal E645 of 2021, which acknowledged the State’s constitutional and international obligation to protect citizens from sexual and gender-based […]

The abrupt and sweeping cuts to U.S. global health support has led to preventable deaths, shortages of medicines, and reduced access to services for vulnerable communities in both Kenya and Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to two new research briefs published today by Physicians for Human Rights (PHR).  “Sexual violence survivors unable to access […]

The United States (U.S.) has historically been a major supporter of public health initiatives in Kenya. From 2020– 2025, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) committed approximately $2.5 billion in foreign assistance to Kenya (approximately $470 million per year) with 80 percent allocated for health-related programs. In January 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump […]

In a historic move, the Government of Kenya has paid 16 million Kenyan shillings (approx. USD $124,000) in compensation to four of the eight survivors of sexual violence in Petition 122 of 2013, marking the first time in Kenya’s history that survivors of conflict-related sexual violence are receiving official compensation for the harm they endured. […]

On June 19, the international community marks the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict – a day to honor the strength of survivors and recommit to the pursuit of justice and healing. This year’s theme, “The Intergenerational Impact of Sexual Violence” calls global attention to the profound and enduring harm inflicted […]

PHR’s 2024 Annual Report captures our work and impact for health, human rights, and justice around the world.

The Court of Appeal in Nairobi, Kenya today failed survivors of the 2007-2008 post-election sexual violence by delaying the judgement in a landmark court case.   “As the litigation at the High Court and Court of Appeal (Civil Appeal No. E645 of 2021) have been ongoing for more than 12 years, today’s postponement of a scheduled […]

The Court of Appeal in Nairobi will deliver its judgment on Civil Appeal No. E645 of 2021, brought by four survivors of election-related sexual violence during the 2007-2008 post-election violence in Kenya. The four survivors were previously denied redress due to the High Court’s failure to recognize government’s responsibility to protect them from election-related sexual […]

An ongoing court case aims to finally secure justice for the survivors of sexual violence. This high-profile litigation – officially known as Constitutional Petition No. 122 of 2013 – seeks to hold the Kenyan government accountable for sexual violence in the post-election period.

Survivors of 2007-2008 election-related sexual violence (ERSV) will have their first day in court since 2020, as they appeal a judgement that denied relief for four of the eight survivor-petitioners who experienced ERSV perpetrated by non-state actors  WHAT: Hearing for Civil Appeal No. E645 of 2021: Coalition of Women Against Violence vs. the Attorney General […]

The United Nations reports that more than one in three women have experienced physical or sexual violence at some point in their lives. Research shows that these traumatic experiences have both short- and long-term effects on a survivor’s health, making them more likely to seek help from a health care provider. This impact goes beyond […]

PHR fights for justice for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and empowers the clinicians that support them.

Submission to the United Nations Universal Periodic Review: Kenya

Kenyan law enforcement must cease their misuse of crowd-control weapons during ongoing protests across the country, Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) said today.  “Law enforcement officials who are meant to protect civilians used lethal tactics against protestors and medical personnel trying to help people. Such use of force constitutes a clear violation of human rights,” […]

“If any of you worry about the issues that are going on in the world as you listen to the news every day and you feel somewhat powerless because the problems, the fractures, are too large and too many, I think you and I can take comfort that PHR is playing its part everywhere in […]

As more cases of femicide are being reported in Kenya, the government must take concrete steps to stop this surge of gender-based violence and bring the perpetrators to justice, said Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) today.     At least 500 women have been murdered in Kenya since 2016. In January 2024 alone, over 10 […]

The Coalition Against Sexual Violence (CASV) calls on the Government of Kenya to prevent and ensure accountability for femicide by training and supporting the National Police Service and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution to investigate and prosecute cases of gender-based violence. At least 10 women have been killed in the first month […]

Survivors and civil society organizations today called on the Attorney General of Kenya to immediately enforce a 2020 High Court decision that found the government of Kenya liable for its failure to investigate and prosecute sexual violence in the wake of contested 2007–2008 presidential elections in the country. Speaking in Nairobi, eight survivors of the […]

With mounting unrest across the country, Kenyan officials should immediately deescalate tensions and abide by international human rights law, Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) said today. PHR is gravely concerned about excessive force deployed by security forces against demonstrators over recent months as well as the potential for an increase in sexual violence.   “Under both […]

For more than 35 years, Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) has worked at the intersection of medicine, science, and law to end human suffering, save lives, and secure justice and universal human rights for all. Read about our impact in our 2022 Annual Report.

SGBV has profound impacts on survivors’ physical and mental health, and access to mental health care is a major challenge for survivors of sexual violence.

Using a participatory methodology called Photovoice, a group of survivors of sexual violence in Nairobi set out to document their journey to seek out and access mental health care.

NAIROBI– Survivors of sexual violence in Kenya face barriers to quality mental health services in their communities, according to a new assessment co-published today by Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) and the Survivors of Sexual Violence in Kenya Network (SSVKenya), which is convened by the Wangu Kanja Foundation.   The new assessment, Voicing Our Plight: […]

This study sought to understand the experiences of survivors of sexual violence in Kenya as they accessed mental health services. Survivors’ experiences are vital to document and have important advocacy and policy implications related to the provision of mental health services and survivor-centered care within their communities. Context Sexual violence affects millions of people of […]

As we mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, we continue to challenge ourselves to understand what works and what doesn’t, using rigorous, scientific, and trauma-informed approaches.