President William Ruto has revealed that women leaders have agreed to spearhead the nationwide awareness campaign against Gender-Based Violence (GBV).
Speaking during a live press briefing at State House Nairobi on Wednesday, November 20, 2024, Ruto said that his administration has committed Ksh100 million towards the 16 days of activism against GBV.
In addition, Ruto urged Kenyans to join the movement to speak out, create awareness and stand united against femicide.
“As we approach the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, the women leaders have agreed to embark on a nationwide awareness campaign to confront this vice head-on,” Ruto said.
“This campaign will have the full support of my government, and we are committing Ksh100 million for the Safe Homes, Safe Spaces campaign. I urge every Kenyan to join this movement, to speak out, to educate, and to stand united against femicide.”
Ruto added that femicide has no place in Kenya stating that communities need civic education on the signs, causes of the violence and resources available for victims.
“The women leaders and I stand united in declaring that femicide has no place in Kenya. We must be relentless in protecting the vulnerable in our midst and unwavering in our mission to create a society where every woman lives in safety, dignity, and freedom from fear,” he added.
“Our communities need education on the signs and causes of abuse and the resources available to victims. Awareness is a crucial step in prevention.”
16 days of activism
The 16 days of activism which starts from November 25 to December 10, 2024, aims at championing a nationwide conversation to address femicide and gender-based violence.
With just 5 days to go until the #16DaysOfActivism , join the movement to #EndGBV in Kenya!
— National Government Affirmative Action Fund (@NGAAF_KE) November 20, 2024
Join us in championing a nationwide conversation to address femicide and GBV. This is a shared responsibility,your voice matters. @athletics_kenya @AICS_Nairobi @citizentvkenya pic.twitter.com/TYNMmS4haM
Ruto on femicide
On Sunday, November 3, 2024, the head of state announced that his administration will take all the necessary steps to tackle the issue which is slowly sliding out of hand.
While attributing the rise of femicide cases to moral and criminal issues, Ruto assured the country that his administration is ready to empower law enforcement officers to track down perpetrators of these heinous acts.
“I have listened to you keenly and it’s true our women are being killed anyhow. These are people who we should be showing love to them,” Ruto said.
“How can it be that our girls, the women of Kenya that expect us to love them, that now they are dying in the hands of men?”
“We have a criminal problem and a moral problem we need to address both of them. As a government, I want to promise you that we will go out of our way, to provide resources for our police to deal with this challenge,” he added.
Police on femicide
According to a recent report by the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Eliud Langat, at least 97 women have been killed in the last three months.
“Murders against women have increased, with 97 cases having been reported in the last three months,” Eliud Langat said during the press briefing on Wednesday, October 30, 2024, at the National Police Headquarters.
“This troubling trend highlights the urgent need for focused action and collaboration to tackle the widespread problem of gender-based violence in society.”
