Raising awareness about femicide in Kenya

DW (English)

In Kenya, the number of women killed each year has been rising, but femicide is not even a legal term. The NGO Usikimye is working to change that and to raise awareness about gender-based violence.

Transcript

00:00This was Mary Wamboy, Lena Kanyua's 10-year-old daughter.

00:05She was killed three years ago.

00:08On that afternoon, she'd been playing outside.

00:10When Mary didn't come home, Kanyua and her older daughter went to look for her

00:14at the place where her neighbor's child had last seen her,

00:18in the house of the landlord's adult son.

00:24When I shone light under the bed, I saw Mary's leg.

00:28I screamed.

00:32When I pulled her from under the bed, I saw my daughter had been stabbed with a knife.

00:37The landlord's son is now facing trial for the assault and murder of Lena's daughter.

00:43Cases like Mary's and those of other women and girls are far too common.

00:47In January 2024, a report by Africa Data Hub and Africa Uncensored

00:51showed a record number of femicides in the previous year.

00:55It brought thousands of people to the streets in protest.

00:59In response, the government established a task force to address the rising femicide numbers.

01:04We are losing about 40 women per month to femicide.

01:10That is a very, very alarming figure.

01:13It is a very shocking figure.

01:15And that is why this action has been taken by the head of state.

01:20The task force held town hall meetings to investigate the matter.

01:25Njeri Migwi, who runs one of the most vocal NGOs in Kenya on the topic,

01:29thinks the government needs to support women at a more fundamental level,

01:33at the point where the crimes are being reported.

01:36We need to have a lot of psychosocial support,

01:39all the way from the minute you report to the police station.

01:42The person who should be receiving, you shouldn't even be a police officer.

01:45You should be a psychologist who walks you through your trauma.

01:48And then by the time you're able to speak up, you can be able to report properly.

01:53To increase awareness about femicide and gender-based violence,

01:56Migwi's organization, Usikimiye, organized an exhibition which they've been taking around Kenya.

02:01The symbolic blood-stained dresses, the cold, uninviting gender desk at the police station,

02:07and a grave to honor the victims are hard to stomach.

02:10But the real experiences are even more jarring.

02:14At the opening, Mary's mother shares her story.

02:19Thanks to the NGO, she's received counseling and is part of their survivor support group.

02:27Yes, the support helped me to open up.

02:29I started speaking to people.

02:31I never used to tell people anything.

02:33I just stayed silent because I had so much pain inside.

02:36When I met the other women, they all had issues, some even bigger than mine.

02:40And so I saw I was not alone.

02:43After three years, Mary's case is finally in court.

02:47And while it's been a painstakingly long process,

02:49her mother hopes for some sort of justice.

02:52But the pain of losing a child will always stay with her.

02:59And I just saw she's

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