The Kenyan government declared gender violence as the country’s biggest security threat this past Thursday, December 19. Since September 2023 there have been 7107 reports of sexual and gender-based violence and now in just the past four months, 100 women in Kenya have been killed, most by men they knew. The country’s gender violence is endemic and following the surge in cases, the government proposes an action plan which includes a special police unit dedicated to femicide and a presidential group to propose methods to combat gender-based violence.
Protesters hold signs demanding the end of femicide. Source: Gerald Anderson/Anadolu Agency
This issue being brought to the forefront of the country’s politics is a hard-fought victory for the many activists and human rights groups who have been staging demonstrations these past months. It is important to emphasize that less than a month prior to the government’s call to action, peaceful protests were being shut down by police. One such protest took place on November 5, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to demand justice for the victims of femicide and was dispersed by police tear gas.
A major source of fuel for demonstrations has been Kenyan’s complete outrage at the systemic barriers that are delaying and in many cases preventing the delivery of justice for victims of femicide. One statistic from African Data Hub states that the average time for a femicide case in Kenya to be concluded in court (after the arrest of a perpetrator) is 1,900 days. Additionally, since 2016, out of more than 500 femicide cases, only 13 verdicts have been reached.
Illustration depicting outrage at the legal failings preventing justice for the victims of femicide. Source: Minority Africa
Recognizing that many cases are still under court investigation, Prime Cabinet Secretary Mudavadi referred to the country’s gender violence epidemic as “the elephant in the room”. President Ruto has also been vocal on this issue and in November directed police to investigate gender-based violence cases. These acknowledgments of the greater systemic issues that contribute to a culture of gender violence have been the first sign of hope for many.
It is important to note, that the severe issue of gender-based violence which stems from gender inequality is not confined to the borders of Kenya but rather is a pressing issue for the region in its entirety. In 2023, a UN report named Africa as the continent with the highest rates of partner-related femicides. This past year the issue has reached the global consciousness, following the murder of Ugandan Olympic runner Rebecca Cheptegei who was set on fire in Kenya by her former partner.
Olympic runner Rebecca Cheptegei competing at the world athletics championship in Budapest 2023. Source: Felix Sanchez Arrazola
The world now waits and watches, for Kenya the next few months will determine whether the prioritization of the gender violence epidemic will lead to real change.
Featured image: A protest in Kenya’s capital Nairobi, where participants wore shirts with the names of that month’s femicide victims. Source: Gerald Anderson/Anadolu Agency
