Adelle Onyango will be co-authoring a book with JJ Lanji Ouko that is set to break the silence on gender-based violence, addressing the stigma and injustice.
The book documents the voices of survivors of rape, observers, family members, activists, nurses, lawyers and many others, who offer a glimpse of the different perceptions of violence.
In a statement, Adelle said the book is dear to her as a survivor of rape and an African woman.
"It amplifies voices of survivors in a way that has never been done before and it also shows that over the decades, rape hasn’t been ended because we as a people have blamed everyone but the rapists," she said.
"The more rapists aren’t held accountable by the justice system, the more rape cases we will continue to have."
The rape statistics in Kenya show that one in three women have experienced some form of sexual violence in their lifetime.
"Furthermore, during the first three weeks of the corona-induced curfew, reported cases of sexual violence had tripled," Adelle added.
She gained international recognition for her efforts to empower African women and youth. Her initiative creates awareness on gender-based violence and runs a free group therapy programme for rape survivors.
On the other hand, JJ Lanji Ouko is a seasoned author, lawyer and gender justice consultant.
“Our interest is on the law, policies and reform in relation to gender justice and the loopholes of access to justice. So my fight to secure justice for survivors and build a criminal justice system that fights for justice is my motivation," Ouko said about the book.
Edited by T Jalio
