Say No to Femicide: Kenyan Movement Demands Justice and Action Amid Rising Femicide Crisis
In a country where the lives of women are increasingly at risk, a powerful movement against femicide is emerging, demanding action, justice, and systemic change. Launched by Kate Kirui, founder of the Green Circle Foundation, the Say No to Femicide in Kenya (SNF) movement is mobilizing Kenyans to address the surge in gender-based violence. Speaking at the launch, Kirui declared, “This movement isn’t just about awareness—it’s about action. We need each and every one of you to be a loud voice, to speak up, and actively contribute to our mission.”
Recent Losses Spark Public Outcry
Tragically, two world-renowned female athletes, Agnes Tirop and Rebecca Cheptegei, have become symbols of the femicide crisis in Kenya. In 2021, Olympic runner Agnes Tirop was brutally stabbed to death in her Iten home, a town that serves as a training base for elite athletes. Her murder shocked the nation and drew attention to the often hidden, yet persistent, violence against women.
Most recently, Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei was murdered in Eldoret, Kenya, in September 2024. In a horrifying act of violence, Cheptegei was set alight by a man she knew, Dickson Ndiema, during a dispute over land ownership. Ndiema later succumbed to injuries he sustained in the incident, but the tragedy of Cheptegei’s death remains a painful reminder of how prevalent femicide has become.
Rising Numbers of Femicide in Kenya
While the recent murders of athletes like Tirop and Cheptegei have made headlines, they are far from isolated cases. The investigative media organization Africa Uncensored reports that approximately 500 women have been murdered in Kenya due to gender-based violence between 2017 and 2024. Femicide Count Kenya, a local organization monitoring these tragedies, documented 152 cases of femicide in 2023 alone, with many more believed to go unreported.
Adding context to these alarming numbers, a 2020 report by the World Health Organization revealed that Kenya has one of the highest femicide rates in Africa, with an estimated 47 women killed each week due to gender-based violence. This figure marks a shocking 50% increase over the last decade, a trend largely attributed to pervasive social, cultural, and economic factors that hinder the reporting of these crimes. “The majority of femicide cases in Kenya are often silenced by societal norms and cultural pressures, making it an invisible crisis for too many women,” said Kirui.
The Roots of Femicide and a Call for Change
The term “femicide” was first defined by feminist scholars Diana Russell and Jill Radford in 1992 as “the misogynist killing of women by men.” In 2001, Russell expanded this definition to specify it as “the killing of females by males because they are female.” Kenya’s escalating femicide rate mirrors the very essence of Russell’s definition, as these murders underscore deep-rooted societal issues, including power imbalances and harmful gender norms that place women in vulnerable positions.
The SNF movement’s approach centers on awareness and direct action, encapsulated in its rallying cry: “Know it, Name it, Stop it.” By calling out femicide as an epidemic, the movement seeks to shift public perception, dismantle cultural stigmas, and ensure that such violence is condemned on every level. “Femicide is not just a statistic; it is the tragic loss of lives, dreams, and futures,” Kirui stated. “We must call it out by name and stop this epidemic.”
A Broader Mission for Accountability and Support
The SNF movement also advocates for stronger laws and increased funding for safe houses and crisis centers. While Kenya has enacted the Protection Against Domestic Violence Act, 2015, Kirui and her team call for stricter enforcement and heightened support for survivors, alongside specialized training for law enforcement to handle gender-based violence cases sensitively and effectively.
SNF’s influence is growing, with thousands taking to social media under hashtags like #LughaNiMOJA-Action and #SayNoToFemicide to share their support, call out gender-based violence, and demand justice. The goal, as Kirui stated, is for the movement to “become so powerful, it’s impossible to ignore.”
Hope for Change Amid a Culture of Silence
While the statistics paint a bleak picture, the SNF movement is driven by a vision of resilience and hope. By raising awareness, fostering education, and pushing for critical policy reforms, advocates believe that a safer society for women is within reach. “Let’s make this movement powerful and impossible to ignore,” Kirui concluded, rallying the crowd. “Together, we can bring our society closer to one where every woman can feel safe.”
With a groundswell of support and a commitment to systemic change, the Say No to Femicide in Kenya movement is turning grief into purpose, demanding accountability, and working to end the tragic cycle of femicide that has claimed far too many lives.
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