Fighting gender-based violence in Kenya

DW (English)

Africa has some of the highest numbers of femicide. More than twenty thousand women and girls were killed last year alone. In Kenya women's groups are sounding the alarm and pushing for femicide to be declared a national disaster.

Transcript

00:00It's making the news. Kenyan men killing their wives, girlfriends and partners.

00:05And the rising cases of young girls being killed while their perpetrators are still walking scot-free.

00:12Gender-based violence against women and girls has long been a hidden problem.

00:17Dr. Zipi Okot's husband abused her. Now she's trying to help others.

00:22We have to empower people to know the situations when it can happen,

00:27to be aware of even what abuse is, what harassment is and what assault is.

00:32Because we, as a society, we have really normalized gender-based violence

00:37in such a way that sometimes there's a very thin line between flirting and harassment,

00:43especially to our young girls.

00:46Today she's showing a film at a university.

00:49It tells the story of a friendship between two students,

00:52which ends up with a young man raping the woman.

00:56Students and staff members talked about violence afterwards.

01:00The moment you notice red flags, a man who will slap you for the first time is capable of killing you.

01:06That is the message that we should put up close.

01:09We, as men, need to take the front line so that our ladies can understand that we are also supporting them.

01:13And to the men who are actually doing all this, it needs to stop.

01:17And it's not a request, it's a must.

01:21Women leaders met with President William Ruto to discuss gender-based violence and femicide.

01:26Femicide has no place in Kenya.

01:28Together, as a nation, through our concerted efforts, we shall eradicate this vice.

01:35The government's National Gender and Equality Commission head, Dr. Purity Ngina,

01:40says action is needed from above and below.

01:43The government is aware, is awake to these things that are happening.

01:47You saw the president first give a hundred million for a safe house.

01:51The next day he issued a very strong statement.

01:55The people who are killing are within us.

01:58They are our brothers, they are our members, they are our colleagues.

02:02We need to speak about this thing.

02:04Dr. Zipi is trying to change how men think about, and therefore, treat women.

02:09A rapist is a rapist because they want to abuse the other person.

02:16It is in their mind first before they start doing it.

02:19My hope is to have a safe environment, to walk, to speak, and to be who you really want to be.

02:26She's not alone, but she and her colleagues know what a mountain they have to climb.

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