Breaking the Silence: Confronting femicide and building a safer society for women

Barely two weeks into the new year and a dark shadow has been cast on Kenyan women. It is possible that there are unreported cases of femicide in addition to the four (4) young women who have already lost their lives to it. For many Kenyan women, the current situation is akin to living in a nightmare because safety is not guaranteed when in the company of a male counterpart or even outside the confines of the walls of your home. Femicide, the intentional killing of women and is a component of gender-based violence.

The four incidents show the prevalence of gender-based violence within our community despite there being legal policies and numerous awareness campaigns against the vice. The chronology in which the atrocious murders have taken place is an alarming sign of the negligible value the lives of women is accorded and the degeneration of our societal values.

Instead of showing compassion and empathy towards the victims, and holding the perpetrators accountable, most have resorted to blaming and stigmatizing the victim. This is carried out without considering that regardless of a woman's conduct or action, femicide is not a justifiable response.

Those who participate in victim blaming fail to recognize the fact that, their actions may inadvertently perpetuate a culture that tolerates and normalizes violence. This can resultantly create an environment where perpetrators feel less accountable for their actions, contributing to a cycle of abuse. Further, victim blaming will reinforce harmful cultural and social norms that perpetuate inequality and discrimination which impede social progress toward attaining gender equality.

While there exists legal remedies for perpetrators, the scar left in society cannot be ignored. Femicide reverberates beyond individual victims, affecting families, communities, and society at large. Communities are traumatized by such acts feeding a cycle of fear and vulnerability. It is important to acknowledge and address the broader societal impact of femicide to pave the way for comprehensive solutions.

Despite progress in various areas, Kenya continues to grapple with high rates of violence against women. Data from the 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey issued by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics show that 34% of women in Kenya have experienced physical violence compared to 27% of men. Statistics from the United Nations Global Database on Violence Against women indicates that; 40.7% of ever-partnered women in Kenya have experienced physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence in their lifetime. The numbers are alarmingly high!

The recent cases highlight the severity of the problem, emphasizing the urgent need for a comprehensive examination of its root causes and preventive measures. It is instinctive for the response to femicide and other forms of gender-based violence to be reactive, however following the current trend, a preventive approach would be best. After all it is better to be safe than sorry.

It would be useful to interrogate deep-rooted issues such as cultural norms that perpetuate violence, lack of agency amongst women and insufficient legal protection for women as possible causes for femicide. While there are legal policies and procedures in place and several initiatives geared towards addressing femicides and gender-based violence, there must be deliberate efforts to ensure a coordinated effort across government, civil society, and individuals. The goal is to create a society where women are safe, respected, and free from the threat of violence.

The author is an advocate of the High Court of Kenya and a women's rights and reproductive health rights expert