By Eddah Waithaka
The government is preparing to launch safe space campaigns to address gender inequality and the rising incidence of femicide, including gender-based violence (GBV). Harriette Chiggai, President Ruto’s Advisor on Women’s Rights, said the government will work in partnership with various stakeholders to strengthen these campaigns and promote the gender equality agenda.
Speaking at the launch of the strategic direction of the Office of the Presidential Advisor on Women’s Rights (ORWA) in Nairobi, Chiggai highlighted that some 97 cases of femicide had been reported in the past three months. She highlighted the wide range of victims, with the oldest being 83 years old and the youngest just 5 months old.
“It is my hope that you shall join me in accelerating the timeline. Let’s ensure that a girl born today will live in a world where gender equality isn’t an aspiration, but a reality. That today we shall all sign up to support the gender agenda and align your CSR activities with the government agenda,” said Chiggai.
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Chiggai further pointed out that the Kenyan police have hindered progress in the battle against GBV, stating that there are significant gaps that must be addressed. “The Kenya Police, that is where we have a big gap because how do the Kenya Police receive GBV cases. How do they process the cases and how do we get these cases to court,” she said.
The Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Gladys Boss Shollei, who was also present at the launch, emphasized that the police are often the least helpful when it comes to reporting incidents of domestic and gender-based violence.
“On GBV, I think our biggest leak is our Police Force. They are the most horrible people that you can go to to report domestic violence or Gender-Based Violence,” said Shollei.
She also urged women to make concerted efforts to participate in decision-making despite existing inequalities.
