By Mary Karau Ngethe
The country is marking 16 days of activism against Domestic Violence & Gender Based Violence. This is happening as GBV continues to increase at an alarming rate, with the latest horrific incident in Embu still clear in our minds, even as we appreciate Mbuvi Sonko, the former Governor for Nairobi County for standing up as a father to defend her daughter against domestic violence.
He publicly joined women in breaking the silence. Such acts from national leaders going public will enhance efforts to fight GBV and Domestic Violence
In Embu, a 22-year-old girl student of Embu University, Jackline Ruguru, innocently left home to go and buy lotion at a nearby shopping center but never returned, and her phone was picked but no one spoke. Ruguru’s body was later discovered dumped in a coffee farm in Gichugu, Kirinyaga, bearing signs of extreme violence, including rape, mutilation, and face burnt with acid.
This is the worst form of emotional, physical, mental and spiritual pain that a young woman should ever encounter. This is why the fight against GBV should be a concern for all citizens including fathers, brothers, sons and all faith-based leaders.
The 16 Days of Activism Against Domestic Violence spanning from 25th November to 10th December was deliberate to include three other major global events: International Human Rights Defenders Day (29 November), World Aids Day (1 December) and the anniversary of the Montreal Polytechnique Massacre (6 December). The period highlights the connection between human rights and domestic violence.
Ruguru was violated as a human being and more so as a woman and youth. Ruguru’s gender based murder affected herself, her family, her community, her classmates and her entire community.
The National Police Service Report reveals that at least 97 women have fallen victims of femicide and gender based violence in the last three months, indicating that the violence trend is highly alarming.
Call by the CJ to end GBV
In response to the alarming trend of femicide and GBV, the Chief Justice Martha Koome has called on Kenyans to speak out and break the silence that enables these acts to go unchecked.
“I call upon all law enforcement agencies in the justice sector, social services and civil society organizations to intensify our vigilance and protective measures. Police officers, community leaders, Nyumba Kumi organizations, and all of us citizens must join hands to ensure our girls are safe in their homes, schools, workplaces” Koome said during a stakeholder meeting advocating for women justice.
Action by CKDN to end Domestic Violence
To respond to the call for action against Domestic Violence, Central Kenya Development Network (CKDN), has created a virtual platform to bring together professionals, (men, women and youth), to delve deep into the root causes of Domestic Violence, and identify the best strategies to curb the vice.
The professionals meet every Tuesday between 7 and 8 pm. CKDN has partnered with the media to disseminate the discussion points as a step to create awareness and empower women and men, boys and girls on the best way to eliminate the vice. Prof Ciira Kiiyukia, a member of the professional platform asked, “do we bring back our traditional culture as is, or do we need to modernize our cultural systems and values to accommodate the current trends?”
Dr Lydia Chege, a member of the platform, stresses that citizens should and ought to change the narrative that domestic violence has increased because of single mother parenting. She positively argues that many children are products of single mothers and have emerged to be good citizens. Children should be well parented to be responsible adults whether in families with both parents and just one parent. The debate continues and the CKDN director, Mary Ngethe who chairs and facilitates the discussions continues to believe that our homes will be safe, our work places will be safe, and our children will be the adults created to be.
By the grace of God and through collective responsibility.
Call To Action
We call upon professionals to come we reason together on how best to help ourselves against this vice. We also call other community leaders to take any positive step to act against domestic violence, and gender based violence at large.
The writer can be reached on; marykaraungethe@gmail.com
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