Call on President to Declare GBV and Femicide a National Disaster
Participants from the African Women Leadership Network (AWLN-Kenya) Chapter.
The African Women Leadership Network (AWLN-Kenya) Chapter is calling on President William Ruto to declare gender-based violence (GBV) and related forms of violence a national disaster.
The group says the rising rate of GBV and femicide in Kenya continues to pose a grave threat to women and girls, who remain disproportionately affected compared to their male counterparts. They argue that the scale and persistence of the violence demand urgent government intervention, led at the highest level by the President himself.
The women are demanding that President Ruto demonstrate his commitment by declaring gender-based violence and femicide a national disaster. They insist he has no choice but to act, citing recommendations by the Nancy Baraza–led Technical Working Group on GBV and Femicide whose report was recently presented to the President.
Addressing journalists, Dr Jennifer Riria, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Echo Network Africa Foundation (ENAF), said women fully support the recommendations contained in the Presidential Technical Working Groupon GBV and Femicide report. She called on President Ruto to ensure the report is implemented in full, as proposed by Dr Nancy Baraza–led committee, without delay.
“We are calling upon the President to take seriously the recommendations he recently received from the Technical Committee and to ensure their implementation to the letter. Women across the country assure him of their full support in executing the report,” Dr Riria said.
Dr Riria said women across the country have commended the President for prioritizing GBV and for appointing a special team to research the issue and develop recommendations, which have now been presented to him.
Mercy Mutana, representing young women said now that Nancy Baraza Team finalized their task and officially submitted report with concrete recommendations, young women are calling for President Ruto to now lead the war against GBV.
“Let President Ruto on his personal capacity, champion for safe country for all Kenyan, and especially for girls and women. Women of Kenya will stand solidly behind him in the war against GBV until all Kenyans, especially girls and young women are safe,” Mutuna asserted.
Sarah Kilemi reiterated that women will not sit back and watch but will actively push for the implementation of the report. She vowed that they would no longer remain silent as violence persists, saying women are ready to speak up and demand action.
Ms Kilemi expressed concern over the worsening state of violence in the country at a time when peace should prevail. She condemned those involved in perpetrating the violence and called on duty bearers including law enforcement and other State agencies to swiftly arrest and prosecute all those found culpable.
“We wish join the rest of the country in decrying the worsening state of security in our country and condemn in the strongest term possible those who are perpetrating this violence,” Ms Kilemi said.
“We wish to remind the people of Kenya that when violence erupts, it is mainly children, women, persons with disability and other vulnerable groups who suffer the most,” she noted.
A case in point is the teargassing and firing of bullets at worshippers in a church in Nyeri County reviving memories of yester-years when innocent women and children were burnt in a church. They said Kenya cannot afford to go back to 2007/2008 days. Places of worship are sacred and must be respected at all times.
Furthermore, places of worship are regarded as safe places. Women, children and persons with disabilities, among other populations, find solace in such places. Attacking a place of worship has to be a sign of the deepest breakdown of every sense of decorum and disregard for civility.
Kenyans are angry and more so the women who are always the most congregants in any given church.
“While we note and appreciate the quick condemnation of these violent actions by violent actions by sections of society including the church, civil society organizations among others. We nonetheless demand more vigilance and sincerity from duty bearers, including law enforcement agencies such as NCIC, ODPP among other State agencies,” women leaders emphasized.
