We are gathered here as Women and girls from across the divide, all concerned about one thing safety and wellbeing of women and children.
I speak today not only as the Women’s Rights Advisor to the President but also as a woman, a mother and a Kenyan equally struggling to understand how our society has allowed such a decay that does not hold human life sacred and worse still that looks at women as objects to be abused.
I have seen comments from different quarters stating that our children, Starlet
Wahu, Rita Waeni and just yesterday, a woman who was killed by her husband deserved to be killed! These and many other women and girls have suffered the fate of violence that we as a society have refused to address. My condolences to the families that are in pain today.
Let me reiterate that the Government in its women’s agenda explicitly committed to ending all forms of violence. This work cannot be done by one arm of the government, neither one organization nor one person. It has to be an effort, bringing together all of us as a nation. Hence we are standing here today as women leaders from all walks of life to not only condemn the violence meted upon women and girls but to also have an intimate conversation on how we can all participate in stopping the vice in the society.
It is therefore my commitment and that of the government to do all within our power first to nab the suspects but to also urge the judiciary to expedite cases of intimate partner violence. To that effect, I will continue engaging and working together with the judiciary to see how best we can ensure survivors are treated with dignity in courts and that these cases do not delay.
I also commit to working with my sisters in Parliament to push for stiffer penalties as well as recognizing that intimate partner violence cases are acknowledged for their misogynistic nature.
As the gender data champion in Government I have been discussing how to ensure that we have good frameworks to collect data. As we all know, data informs policy and better practice.
The Office of the Women’s Rights Advisor has an open door policy for all matters women’s rights and this is to let you know that we are here to work together to form solutions that will last for generations to come.
As I thank the media for according time and space to have this open engagement,
it is important that we point out the key role the media plays in shaping societal
norms. I therefore urge you to avoid victim blaming and victim shaming because ON WOMEN RIGHTS no one deserves to be killed under any circumstance. One fallen sister is one too many for society.
We urge religious leaders to use their platforms to speak positively about women and help the congregation understand that women’s rights are also human rights creating a positive environment for women and children.
The Government is committed to ensuring that the structures that respond and support survivors do not re-victimize them. Matters psychosocial support and safe spaces for women and children are a priority in my office.
We will be doing county visits to engage with women and children and I am looking forward to hearing solutions from the communities that will inform how best the government responds to the women of this country.
In conclusion, I reiterate, we witness other people’s storms from the shelter of our own perspectives. Let’s be mindful that we do not add the cold rain of judgment to their already soaked spirits. Let us be sensitive to the families that have lost their loved ones. They need our love and compassion and not rebuke.
By re-victimizing the dead we are akin to dancing on the graves of women who have fallen victim to people they trusted. Let us put all our hands on deck from wherever we are to respond to these heinous crimes. Those who are planning to rape and kill our girls, we are putting you on notice, your days are numbered!
On the same note, we urge our daughters to exercise caution on how and with whom they interact with on social platforms. This is because GBV has now taken the form of technologically facilitated gender based violence (TFGBV).
I want to acknowledge the women’s rights defenders from every ward in the
country; the women who have turned up today in solidarity with our fallen sisters; Women leaders who have come out in numbers at short notice; the women who are doing a lot to educate the public on matters women’s rights; and assure you of my unrelenting quest to ensure that all women are safe.
Be assured that this office is engaging different Government agencies on your behalf. Together we can make it happen.
