Brian Kaitano, Maseno University alumnus and young voice on Kenyan society, covers the issue of gender-based violence in the country. Can the rise in femicide in Kenya be explained? Can it be erased? And how?

Victim-blaming isn’t the solution to the alarming rise in femicide cases in Kenya by Brian Kaitano.

The United Nations defines femicide as intentional killing of women and girls with a gender-related motivation that may be driven by stereotyped gender roles, discrimination towards woman and girls, unequal power relations between women and men, or harmful social norms.

According to UN Women, data from 2022 showed that Africa recorded the highest number of female intimate partner and family related killings with an estimated 20,000 victims. This was followed by 18, 400 in Asia, 7,900 in the Americas, 2,300 in Europe and 200 in Oceania.

Moreover, a report titled “Homicide Country Data” released in 2022 by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) states that over the past decade, the overall number of female homicide has remained unchanged, underscoring the urgency to prevent and respond to the scourge with stronger actions. Data obtained from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics estimates that 40% of Kenyan women aged 15-49 years old experience domestic violence at least once in their lifetimes, and that 1 in 4 will have experienced domestic violence in the last 12 months.

Indeed, there has been an alarming rise in femicide cases from 111 in 2019 to 152 in 2023, with 5 reported cases as of January 2024 as reported by Counting Dead Women, Kenya. Though the numbers may be higher than the reported ones, this year`s deaths are reminiscent of the shocking murders of two elite athletes in October 2021 and April 2022. Behind every femicide statistic is the story of an individual woman or girl who has been failed.

Victim-blaming – a way to avoid facing the issue?

Kenya has a long history when it comes to violence against women and girls, and this year it has only risen further. Recent media reports of gruesome murders of women in cold blood, mostly characterized by amputations, have led people to victim-blame to justify their deaths.

Moreover, victim-blaming on social media adds to distress, reflecting the reluctance to challenge comforting worldviews. Research suggests that these people victim-blame because they struggle to reject their comforting worldviews that good will be rewarded and evil punished. Conversations on social media about the deaths of these women show how as a society we are quick to judge and then blame the victims.

As a result, there is very little public pressure to support the victims or prosecute the perpetrators. Parents and families go through untold emotional and psychological torture associated with the sudden loss of their loved ones. They grieve to seek justice, but society forgets and moves on. It has caused complacency in our society and our world.

Why is femicide on the rise in Kenya?

Under the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) all countries, including Kenya, committed to end all forms of gender-based violence by 2030. As such, Kenya like many African countries has adopted treaties that address gender-based violence, including the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples` Rights.

National laws such as the Sexual Offences Act also criminalize violence against women and girls. In addition, the Kenyan police have a specialized gender desk. However, activists say that that the government’s policies are scarcely effective. They claim that there are no government sponsored national campaigns addressing gender-based violence or its consequences. That the justice system remains sluggish and ineffective in prosecuting the perpetrators, and that corruption continues to cause gaps in the implementation of these ambitious laws.

There is also a deep “misogynistic” culture that sees women as objects to be “owned” and that focuses on shaming them for being victims, rather than pinpointing their male perpetrators. In conclusion, patriarchal ideas compelled with the structural inequalities between men and women in Kenyan society leaves a breeding ground for violence to take place.

Are men failing in condemning femicide in Kenya?

Very few men in Kenya are openly coming out to speak out against femicide. There seems to be a huge disparity in the male versus female attitudes towards gender-based violence in general and it might take a long time to shed toxic masculinity from Kenyan society. The patriarchal mindset affects men so much that they hardly realize how much it affects them for them to think that the fight against femicide is not their fight. This needs to change.

Men would be wise to speak up against this violence, without forgetting that in their silence they are actually complicit in creating a world full of inequality, hate and violation of the basic human rights of their daughters, sisters, cousins, friends, aunties and mothers.

How to address femicide in Kenya

Addressing femicide requires a coordinated and multi-sectoral approach that involves all sections of society. These approaches are all needed, and are all important. Something has to shift in order to protect women and girls from this violence, and measures could include:

• The National Police Service taking increased responsibility and steps towards effectively investigating all alleged incidents of violence against women and girls; conducting all investigations in a manner that respects the rights and needs of each woman without needlessly adding to the existing burden experienced by the victim; and taking action to support and protect all victims of femicide and gender-based violence.
• The State Department of Gender establishing a femicide watch and/or observatory to recommend preventive measures and collect data on femicide.
• Encouraging the National Police Service, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution and the Judiciary to fulfill their due diligence obligations ensuring justice for the victims and deterring potential offences. Lastly, sensitizing men, boys and community leaders on the rights of women through community mobilization activities by community health volunteers, women groups and civil society organizations. Women and girls on the other hand could also be educated on their right to be free of violence and shown where, and how, to seek services if it does happen.

References

• Dr. Patricia Kameri-Mbote (2000). Violence against women in Kenya: An analysis of Law, Policy and Institutions.
• Sheena Goodyear (2024). Why thousands of women marched in the streets of Kenya this weekend.
• Shola Lawal (2024). Femicide in Kenya: What`s causing an epidemic of violence against women?
• UNODC (2023). Global study on Homicide 2023.
• Waihiga Mwaura (2024). Kenya femicide: Why men fail to condemn deadly misogyny.

Useful links:

• Link up with Brian Kaitano via LinkedIn
• Follow on X @KaitanoBrian
• Read a related article: How can companies help decrease domestic violence against women?

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