A groundbreaking report by the Aga Khan University’s Graduate School of Media and Communications (GSMC) has exposed alarmingly high rates of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) against women in sports across Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.
Based on survey responses from 748 participants and 18 in-depth interviews drawn from 32 national sports federations and associations, the report reveals that 62% of respondents had either experienced or knew someone who had experienced violence.
In Kenya alone, the figure has surged to 69%, a significant jump from 43% reported in 2022.
Dr Hebson Owilla, the study’s principal investigator, said the findings present a powerful foundation for reform.
“It is not so much about the findings as it is about what these findings suggest should be done,” he said.
“There is urgent need to support federations and associations in ensuring the safety and security of women in sport.”
Titled Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Against Women in Sports in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, the report is part of GSMC’s Advancing Gender Equality in Media and Civil Society in East Africa (AGEMC-EA) project.
It was compiled in partnership with the Office of the President’s Advisor on Women Rights.
The study shows that women are disproportionately affected, with 82% of female athletes identified as more vulnerable to SGBV than men.
Verbal abuse was the most reported form of violence, followed by emotional, physical, and sexual abuse—often perpetrated by coaches, officials, and spectators.
“Professional and competitive athletes are particularly at risk,” the report notes, “suggesting that the longer women stay in sport, the greater their exposure to potential harm.”
Despite the high prevalence, only 17% of respondents disclosed personal experience with SGBV, while 25% chose not to answer—a statistic the researchers attribute to widespread fear and stigma.
Many victims feared retaliation or damage to their careers if they reported abuse.
“It takes away your voice,” one athlete said. “You question everything—your worth, your talent, even your memories. And when you speak up and nothing happens, or worse, you’re punished for it, that silence becomes a wound that never heals.”
Professor Nancy Booker, Dean at GSMC, described the report as a wake-up call.
“This empirical evidence constructively highlights the systemic and contextual challenges that contribute to the vulnerability of women in sports. It calls on all of us to act and save one of the most consequential sectors in this region.”
The report urges governments, sports federations, and civil society to take immediate steps, including instituting mandatory safeguarding training for coaches, implementing stronger disciplinary measures, and raising awareness through public education.
With sports viewed as a vehicle for empowerment, the researchers warn that ignoring this crisis risks alienating a generation of women athletes from the very platforms meant to uplift them.