- This fight against femicide led by women for women from across the country is also illuminating the various forms of violence against women.
- Shockingly, at least 500 cases of femicide have been recorded in Kenya since 2016.
Image: HANDOUT
The power of women-led movements is now shaking up Kenya. The world is now witnessing #EndFemicideKe protests being an outpouring of anger and solidarity against the lives of women being lost to the culture of patriarchy and misogyny.
This fight against femicide led by women for women from across the country is also illuminating the various forms of violence against women, including Female genital mutilation, sexual coercion, exploitation, and rape.
Shockingly, at least 500 cases of femicide have been recorded in Kenya since 2016.
Whether it is the brutal dismembering of 20-year-old Rita Waeni in Nairobi or 26-year-old Starlet Wahu, a social media influencer who bled to death, the country’s femicide record continues unabated.
Femicide however cannot be seen in isolation. It is one of the most extreme forms of Gender-based violence however, it is often preceded by intimate partner violence and domestic violence.
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime and UN Women released a report in November 2023 with one of the key findings being that women and girls are most likely to be abused and killed by those closest to them and not by strangers as is public knowledge. Yet, the silence on intimate partner violence and domestic abuse is very loud and striking.
From the age of 6, Nguvu Change Leader Valerie Aura witnessed her father beat her mother many times, but her mother never left or reported the abuse. Their neighbours also heard the wails but, like in many cases of domestic violence, turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to it.
Valerie wished she could help but felt insignificant and powerless, and faced unbearable stigma. This is often the case with gender-based violence. Barriers to its elimination persist because it remains underreported and too often ignored. Far too often, such violence against women and girls in all its various forms, ends in femicide.
In her mission to make a difference in the fight against GBV, Valerie started an online social change campaign calling for the establishment of safe houses for victims and survivors of GBV, working with other victims to push for immediate reforms.
Driven by her belief in the power of collective action, she also joined the anti-femicide movement just like other Nguvu Change Leaders - Josephine Mwende and Harriet Afandi - who have experienced other forms of gender-based violence.
Valerie, Josephine and Harriet understand that there’s an undeniable strength in a collective of women change leaders joining hands to create impact together, united in their determination to break the chains of silence and oppression.
Femicide is reflective of a continuum pattern of abuse that remains deeply ingrained in cultures globally, to the extent to the point where it is often unnoticed.
Over the past decade, women around the world have joined forces to champion a more just and safe society, exemplified by impactful movements like #MeToo, #TotalShutDown and #Nirbhaya.
These movements have successfully focused public attention on the persistent problem of gender-based violence, leading to considerable narrative shifts, as well as social and political reforms.
It is the same power of movements that is now being heard in Kenya through the #EndFemicideKe protests.
The wave of protests provides testimony to not just the scale of the problem but also the power of women coming together to find solutions and drive change in the country.
Why the government should act fast
Femicide is not unique to Kenya, however, Kenya could take the lead in addressing this horrific issue that continues in this age.
In 2021, the Kenyan government declared its commitment by the year 2026 to put an end to Gender-Based Violence as part of its global co-leadership of Generation Equality’s Action Coalition.
This decision sparked hope in every woman across the country.
However, two and a half years later, Kenya is still grappling with the harsh reality of many forms of GBV, with an alarming increase in incidents including those identified as femicide.
As Kenya looks to the future, even with commendable policies such as Kenya’s Roadmap to advancing gender equality, ending all forms of gender-based violence and female genital mutilation by 2026, the Gender-Based Violence Action Plan 2023, the Social Transformation through Access to Justice (STAJ) 2023-2033 blueprint, and the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Strategy 2023-2030, Kenya needs to engage with the women who are raising their voice against the many forms of gender-based violence across the country - with a listening ear to understand the intersectionality of this violence, work with them as partners in finding solutions and as co-leaders in implementation of these solutions.
This will ensure a far more comprehensive and effective way forward in Kenya’s commitment and global leadership in addressing gender-based violence.
The stakes are high. Kenya’s achievement of the 5th Sustainable Development Goal - on gender equality and women’s empowerment - is on the line, and the #EndFemicideKE Movement is Crucial to the Country's Trajectory to achieve it.
Preethi Herman is the CEO of Nguvu Collective which helps emerging women changemakers to become strong social change leaders and drive positive impact at scale.