Silenced by the Whistle: Alarming Rates of Gender-Based Violence Unveiled in East African Sports
This marks a troubling increase from 43% reported by Kenya’s Ministry of Sports in 2022.
Abuse and Silence in Sports: Aga Khan University survey reveals widespread patterns of abuse and institutional failure in the sports industry.
By Robert Assad
A groundbreaking new study has uncovered widespread sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) within the sports arenas of Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, casting a shadow over one of the region’s most promising sectors for youth empowerment and gender equity.
Preliminary findings from a comprehensive regional survey and interviews conducted by the Graduate School of Media and Communications (GSMC) at Aga Khan University expose deeply entrenched patterns of abuse, systemic silence, and institutional failure across multiple levels of sport.
The study, which surveyed 748 participants and conducted 18 in-depth interviews, reveals that a staggering 62% of respondents either experienced or knew someone who had experienced SGBV in sports.
This marks a troubling increase from 43% reported by Kenya’s Ministry of Sports in 2022. Most alarming is the reality behind the numbers: only 17% of respondents admitted personal experience, while 25% declined to answer—highlighting a culture of fear and stigma that continues to muzzle victims.
“It’s not just what happens in locker rooms or camps,” noted one female coach interviewed for the study. “It’s that athletes are afraid to speak out. They know what happens when you go against someone powerful.”
Coaches and Authority Figures Under Scrutiny
Coaches emerged as some of the most common perpetrators, with athletes citing abuses of power ranging from coercion to outright sexual exploitation.
Verbal and emotional abuse were the most frequently reported forms, often dismissed or normalized within sports culture. One athlete revealed: “If you want to join the national team, there are things you’re told you must do. And if you refuse, you’re left behind.”
The findings also underscore that SGBV risk increases with years spent in sports and peaks among athletes at professional and competitive levels.
The longer athletes remain in the field, the more likely they are to recognize and report abuse—suggesting a troubling pattern of early-career exploitation going unacknowledged or unrecognized.
Systemic Causes and Cultural Impunity
The research attributes the prevalence of SGBV to a confluence of systemic factors: lack of education and awareness (cited by 40% of respondents), skewed power dynamics between athletes and coaches, gender stereotypes, and a persistent culture of silence.
These issues are exacerbated by insufficient infrastructure—ranging from unsafe facilities to lack of basic needs—which push young female athletes into vulnerable, dependency-based relationships with male authority figures.
The perception of female vulnerability is widespread—82% of all respondents agreed that women athletes are more at risk, particularly in Kenya and Uganda. In one illustrative incident, an athlete described how a fellow teammate’s career was derailed after refusing a coach’s advances.
Fear, Retaliation, and the Price of Speaking Out
Fear of retaliation or career sabotage was the leading reason athletes gave for not reporting SGBV incidents, accounting for 35% of responses.
Another 8% cited fear of the perpetrator, while others pointed to shame, lack of trust in reporting mechanisms, or disbelief that action would be taken.
The study paints a harrowing picture: abusers often maintain a “hero” status in the community, while victims suffer in silence.
The absence of effective safeguards is stark. Only 37% of respondents believe current interventions are adequate, and many expressed a need for stricter accountability, mandatory education for coaches, and secure, confidential reporting systems.
A Call for Urgent Reform
While the final recommendations are still forthcoming, the researchers emphasize the urgent need for a multi-pronged approach: policy enforcement, educational programs, stronger safeguarding, and gender-responsive leadership.
“Sport should be a safe space for all,” one study lead remarked.
“These preliminary findings demand not just attention, but action—before another promising career is silenced.”
The real competition, it seems, is against a deeply rooted culture of silence—and the race has just begun.
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