NAIROBI,Kenya – In the past few weeks, News broadcasts seemed like trailers for horror movies, with news of horrific murders of women. The news of the murder of Starlet Wahu had floated through the nation. As the puzzle of her murder was still being resolved and before we could comprehend her murder, the story that still haunts most of us, if not all of us, is the brutal murder and dismembering of the body of Rita Waeni.
In addition, the bizarre murder of a woman in Homa Bay County, who was beheaded while cooking, seems like a script from a low-budget film.
Bodies of women found who have been either assaulted or raped, and murdered continue to be reported. The highlighted brutal killings of women mentioned are not exhaustive but offer a glimpse into what has been happening within the confines of our borders and our society broadly.
It is regrettable that such killings have all occurred not long after the world joined in commemorating the 16 Days of Activism, where we championed the ending of all forms of sexual and gender-based violence against all women and girls, which includes their killing.
Reflecting on how some of these murders occurred, there are persons who will take to victim blaming, with arguments that the victims should have known better. However, this victim blaming does not help anyone. Nowhere did they sign up to be killed, nor did they have any prior information that the men they were to encounter were actual killers.
Women in society have suffered immeasurable anguish and continue to do so, especially at the hands of men. I must clarify that this is not a case of one group versus another but only highlights our current realities.
All the killings have been at the actual hands of men; as the investigations continue, it is my hope that all the perpetrators are actually brought to book. Where such news spreads throughout, one needs to pause and query what message is sent to the women and girls in our society. Fear of them being the next victims will always be a grip holding them tight around their necks, suffocating their existence.
Where is the safe space for women in our society when such killings occur? Does it mean that the society we live in should only cater to men at the expense of women? Women should equally relish in their rights and freedoms as guaranteed to all human beings free of fear and intimidation.
There isn’t, and there will never be, justification for the killing of women in our society. The safety of all women is not a matter to be negotiated and demands a collective effort by all members of society, women included.
A clear message should be sent to any and all perpetrators that such heinous acts will not go unpunished, deterring any other potential ones. In the same breath, there is a need to protect women on all virtual and social platforms, which have now become a breeding ground for killers to roam and prey on their next victims.
Femicide, in its very nature, is a tool used to oppress and instil fear in women; it is the axe that loosely hangs over their heads for the mere fact they are women and their lives could be taken from them intentionally and whenever.
The time is now to change this narrative and alter this reality. Future generations need to find a better place, a safe space for women and girls. As mentioned earlier, there is no justification for killing women. I can only imagine the conversations between parents and their daughters, the cautions being discussed, and the warnings being given, all to ensure they are safe and secure.
Given that most of the perpetrators are men, I would hope that they, too, are conversing about playing their part in ensuring women and girls feel safe even around them. Women are tired of holding rallies, protests and marches to demand an end to their suppression and oppression; they can only demand for so much.
The shedding of innocent blood and senseless taking of women’s lives by those who think they can must end in totality.
The Author,Wallace Nderu is an Advocate of the High Court and a Programme Officer at ICJ Kenya.
