Quarter Three Discrimination Index: Community Perspectives on Discrimination
This discrimination index represents the findings of a qualitative participatory action research (PAR) study on discrimination in four counties in Kenya: Nairobi, Nakuru, Kilifi and Wajir. The research explored lived experiences of discrimination as it appears in various forms and contexts, including gender, age, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and socio-economic status. The participatory nature of the research emphasised the voices of the communities in the counties.
Key Findings
Participants recognised and understood the concept of negative differential treatment.
Most participants acknowledged that discrimination is prevalent within the counties but has not been characterised as a community concern, as each matter is handled on an individual or case-by-case basis.
Gender-based discrimination was prevalent across all counties, with women reporting barriers to access to employment and political participation.
Sexual and gender-based violence was reported as a serious concern in Nairobi, Kilifi and Wajir counties. Victims of sexual and gender-based violence do not receive the adequate physical, financial and psychological attention that they require to continue living in communities after traumatic experiences.
The youth expressed frustration over the lack of employment. Corruption, tribalism, and cronyism frustrate access to job opportunities.
In Nairobi, the elderly are profiled when they are working. The youth feel they are taking up opportunities when they should have retired.
LGBTQ+ persons are judged based on how they dress and are, at times, denied employment opportunities. In Nakuru, LGBTQ+ persons cannot access religious institutions because they are seen as outcasts.
Persons with disabilities (PWDs) are regarded as incompetent at work or unable to work at all.
Socio-economic discrimination cut across all four counties. Persons of disadvantaged socio-economic status lamented non-responsive public offices and inaccessibility to services.
Discrimination based on a person’s health status, specifically a person’s HIV status, is common among domestic workers.
There were mixed reactions from the participants on whether they could report instances of discrimination within their communities.
