Presidential Advisor on Women's Rights Harriet Chiggai wants media houses to use data to put the wave of reported killing of women into the right perspective.
Chiggai said media narratives are crucial in highlighting the problem and directing the attention of the public to it, to help in charting a solution.
“Media outlets should use data to paint the worrying trend of violence against women and grab the attention of the society to do something about it,” she said during a luncheon with media editors and other stakeholders.
Chiggai’s call comes amid a rising tide of the killing of women, raising concern about rising misogyny and femicide in the country.
The killing of socialite Starlet Wahu and the dismemberment of JKUAT student Rita Waeni raised the alarm in the country.
Waeni, 20, had her body parts stashed in a polythene bag while her head was missing, only to be discovered days later.
Chiggai told the scribes that simplifying the data about the trends and comparing different periods on the subject is key in raising awareness and painting the need for urgent action.
“Using data to explain how femicide has been happening in this country and showing the prints of its rise is critical in raising the need for urgent intervention and mindset change. The med must set this agenda,” she said.
She also said there was a need for the media platforms to disabuse the notion of blaming the victims by questioning their morals and appearing to justify the actions.
“Media should call out people blaming the victims and questioning their morality,” she said.
