Women’s rights activists to hold nationwide protests to denounce femicide

Africans Rising for Unity, Justice, Peace and Dignity will lead other women’s groups in a march to denounce femicide in Kenya.

The Saturday march will take place at the Jeevanjee Gardens in Nairobi following the gruesome murders of three women. They include; Starlet Wahu and Rita Waeni, and a third victim identified only as Malkia.

Similar anti-femicide marches will take place in Mombasa, Kilifi, Kisumu, Turkana, Nakuru, Eldoret, Machakos and Busia.

Nyeri County was the first to hold the march on Friday with women's groups in the county protesting the ongoing attacks against women in the country.

We have consolidated all the March meeting points in this poster. Please also check the individual posters (on our Instagram) to know the specific locations, and times for each city. Nyeri is set to march on January 26th, while the rest of the cities will march on January 27th. pic.twitter.com/pOpdudLxr0

— FEMINISTS IN KENYA /#TotalShutDownKE (@FeministsKE) January 23, 2024

Human Rights Watch said the January 27 march in several counties will honor thousands of victims who have been victims of femicide,

“Kenyans will take to the streets in a march against femicide in the country. The women-led march will honor the memories of the thousands of women who are killed, raped and assaulted each year,” the organization said on their X platform.

The UN describes femicide as the intentional killing of women driven by stereotyped gender roles, discrimination towards women, unequal power relations between men and women and harmful social norms.

#Statement: Femicide is the most brutal manifestation of gender-based violence. It is unacceptable and must never be normalised. Silence is not an option!
We join #TotalShutDownKE #EndFemicideKE march tomorrow, 27th Jan: https://t.co/sToubOi6Xz https://t.co/ZqI15pPEXd pic.twitter.com/FzaCsS8zi9

— Amnesty Kenya (@AmnestyKenya) January 26, 2024

Femicide a 'national emergency'

In a statement on Thursday, several women groups in the country urged President William Ruto to declare femicide "a national emergency and a threat to national security" , saying it is engrained in the community.

“Further, we call upon Interior CS Kithure Kindiki and Gender CS Aisha Jumwa to take immediate and decisive action to address this crisis,” the organisations said in a statement.

They asked President Ruto’s government to protect women from all walks of life.

“It is time for decisive action to ensure that no woman or girl in Kenya lives in fear of losing her life simply because of her gender. Let us create a society where every woman and girl can

live a life free from violence and fear,” they said.

The statement noted that femicide is linked to gender-based violence and discrimination that should be dealt with through proper channels.

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“We believe that our collective, national and patriotic responsibility as Kenyan individuals, communities, and institutions is to address and eradicate these deep-rooted issues,” it said.

“According to Article 29 of the Constitution of Kenya, every Kenyan citizen, regardless of gender, age or background, has the right to freedom and security. Every life lost to femicide represents a profound failure of the state and our society to uphold the law as stipulated by our Constitution and International Human Rights instruments ratified by Kenya."

The statement was endorsed by more than 100 women's groups countrywide. They included the Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA Kenya), the Centre for Rights Education and Awareness (CREAWKenya), the Feminist for Peace Rights and Justice Centre, Women in Social Justice Centres, Dada Mkubwa and Pwani Trans Initiative.

"We strongly condemn the rise in femicide cases in the country and mourn with all victims of this scourge and their families," the organisations said.