Femicide: Time for action, not words
Crime scene. Cases of femicide have been on the rise..
What you need to know:
- Hardly a week goes by without a murder case targeting a woman being reported.
- Just this Tuesday, the bodies of two women were found on a roadside in Mai Mahiu, Nakuru County.
A look at some of the headlines we have recently published on Nation.Africa exposes a worrying trend.
“Puzzle of woman who died in Kenya days to Saudi Arabia trip”
“Jacqueline Ngina murder: How mobile phone gave away suspect Robert Kinisu”
“Shock as woman killed inside Embu Catholic Church centre”
“KMTC student stabbed to death by jealous boyfriend”
These are stories touching on femicide, the intentional and systematic killing of women and girls. Last year, we exposed this worrying trend of intimate partner violence.
Despite our efforts, Kenya is still plagued by endemic levels of gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide, yet the authorities have not taken concrete action.
Just this Tuesday, the bodies of two women were found on a roadside in Mai Mahiu, Nakuru County. Indeed, hardly a week goes by without a murder case targeting a woman being reported.
Going by social media posts on some of the stories we have published, victim-blaming stands out.
When Ivy, a medical student at Moi University, was murdered in 2019, there was much talk surrounding her death, including victim blaming. Did this brilliant girl deserve to die? No. Many other women, including star sportswomen, have been victims or survivors.
When we normalise violence on social media and other public spaces, we dehumanise the victims and are insensitive to the trauma their family and friends experience, and allow the violence to thrive.
The Bill of Rights protects human life and no reason justifies these wanton killings targeting women.
Men who abuse women take advantage of opportunities to exert power, and then use the same things as excuses for their actions and choices.
Femicide in Kenya demands urgent attention from all sectors of society. Condemning it requires a multi-faceted approach that tackles the underlying causes, while supporting victims and survivors.
Our laws and law enforcement mechanisms should be strengthened to ensure perpetrators are held accountable and justice is served swiftly. Five years after Rongo University student Sharon Otieno was found murdered in a forest in Homa Bay County, the case is yet to be concluded.
We must confront the deeply ingrained gender inequalities and patriarchal attitudes that perpetuate these vices. The government must uphold its constitutional mandate in protecting girls and women.
Femicide and GBV should be declared a national disaster and succeeded with commitments to bringing them to an end. The National Police Service and the Director of Criminal Investigations should also expedite investigations into past and recent cases.
It is time we stood united against femicide and paved the way for a future where women and girls live free from fear and violence.
Meanwhile, ‘who runs the world? Girls!’ These are lyrics in a song by Beyoncé, and a fact of life. While patriarchies have traditionally been the norm in most societies, a community in Tanzania, the Hadzabe, remain matriarchal. Here, women are the primary decision-makers. We present their intriguing story.
Blessed week ahead.
