Fatshimetrie recently covered a major event in Nairobi, Kenya, where hundreds of protesters demonstrated against gender-based violence, or femicide. Unfortunately, the protesters were dispersed with tear gas by police and a number were arrested.
The scene was tense, with protesters chanting slogans such as “Stop femicide,” before being forced to disperse after police intervened in a public park where they had gathered. Clashes broke out in the streets, resulting in injuries to several protesters.
One activist, Mwikali Mueni, told The Associated Press that she was shot in the neck by uniformed police officers and was on her way to the hospital. She expressed frustration, noting the irony of being injured while fighting to protect women from violence. She called on the president to take action against the agents responsible for the violence.
Kenya is facing an epidemic of gender-based violence. In October, police reported that 97 women had been killed since August, most by their male partners.
In response to the alarming figures, President William Ruto pledged more than $700,000 for a campaign to combat femicide after meeting with elected women.
A United Nations report released in November, to mark the launch of a 16-day global campaign, found that Africa had the highest rate of partner-related femicide in 2023. This has sparked a series of protests against femicide in Kenya.
On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on November 25, police had already used tear gas to disperse some protesters braving the elements.
The police crackdown on protests on Human Rights Day was condemned by activists. They questioned the police’s handling of femicide cases, including the escape of a suspect from police cells after confessing to the murder of 42 women, whose dismembered bodies were found in plastic bags dumped in a flooded quarry.
Activists, including Mariam Chande, expressed their determination, saying: “Why are we being beaten and tear-gassed when we are peaceful? We will continue to take to the streets until women are no longer slaughtered like animals.”
Another protester, who gave her name only as Phoebe, expressed her dismay, saying: “It’s not fair that we can’t sleep in peace. You disappear, you come back in a bag.”.
In the face of these recurring tragedies, it appears essential that concrete measures and a real commitment from the authorities be put in place to effectively combat gender-based violence and femicide, and to offer adequate protection to women in Kenya and around the world.