Through its own Constitution and as a state party to numerous international and regional human rights treaties, Kenya guarantees its citizens key fundamental human rights, including the right to be free from discrimination, the right to education, the right to dignity and freedom from degrading treatment, the right to health, and the right to life. All of these rights are violated when a schoolteacher sexually abuses a learner. This paper looks at the pervasive problem of sexual abuse by teachers in Kenya and analyzes the specific violations of schoolgirls’ human rights under the Kenyan Constitution and international law triggered by this abuse. It also identifies the steps that the Kenyan government has taken to address the problem of sexual abuse by teachers and additional efforts the Kenyan government must undertake to better protect all learners from sexual abuse.

Continue reading Girls’ Education Under Attack: The Detrimental Impact of Sexual Abuse by Teachers on School Girls’ Human Rights in Kenya