Womankind Worldwide stands in solidarity with allies, sisters and partners in Kenya

In the last couple of months, we have witnessed a disturbing rise in femicide across Kenya. Each statistic represents a life lost, as this scourge continues to rob women and girls of their fundamental right to exist.  Society’s systemic indifference and negligence have effectively enabled gender-based violence threatening women’s safety and denying them their human right to thrive socially, economically, and politically. 

Femicide- described as the most extreme manifestation of violence against women and girls, is a global pandemic involving the intentional murder of women and girls solely because of their gender. This heinous crime represents a profound violation of human rights and human dignity. 

Womankind Worldwide stands in solidarity with Kenyan women and girls who, for months have courageously exercised their revolutionary right to protest, demanding a national shutdown until femicide is addressed. The repeated actions of impunity by the police, most recently on the International Human Rights Day- 10 December 2024, have been deeply troubling, with peaceful protestors met by force, brutality, and unwarranted arrests! 

We join our local partners, allies and the international community in unequivocally condemning this injustice. It is possible to end femicide with radical and decisive steps: 

• The government should recognise the systemic nature of femicide and its threat to the lives of women and girls. This includes proactively updating policies and legislation to protect women and girls, while also supporting community-led action and advocacy. 
• Address the culture of impunity by implementing stringent legal consequences for perpetrators and training law enforcement in survivor-centered responses. This will ensure that lenient sentences do not perpetuate a society that enables violence against women and girls.  
• Uphold citizens’ constitutional right to peaceably assemble, demonstrate and picket presenting petitions to local authorities 

The path to ending femicide requires collective commitment, systemic change and an unwavering commitment to women’s human rights. 

Join our rallying call to end Tech Facilitated Gender-based Violence against Women and Girls (TFGBV). Our policy brief unpacks how online violence intersects with femicide. We provide recommendations on the urgent action needed to end TFGBV. Read more