7 MARCH 2022
The attention of the Kenyan Section of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ Kenya) has been drawn to an online and alarming viral video where a woman is being violently assaulted and sexually harassed by several persons while in her car. The incident took place along Forest Road in Nairobi County in Kenya.
ICJ Kenya notes with concern that these acts of violence amount to cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment that has characterized the conduct of Boda Boda ( Motorcycle) operators. These acts are also an affront to human dignity and a blatant violation of women’s rights. These acts further depict the structural and deep-rooted gender inequalities which the state must swiftly address.
On 8 March, the world will commemorate International Women’s Day. A day set aside to celebrate the progress made in advancing women’s rights domestically, regionally, and globally. Yet, despite recognising and domesticating the normative frameworks that promote and protect the rights of women and girls, violence against women persists in public, private and online spaces, with 47% of Kenyan women documented to experience GBV in their lifetime. The traffic incident is not an isolated case. In recent times, sexism and misogynistic conversations have taken root in mainstream and online platforms. The acts are sensationalised, often diverting public attention from the perpetrators of these acts. Such actions only perpetuate misogyny and discourage many victims from reporting violence cases out of fear that they might be blamed for the harm meted on them or victimised.
The continued violence against women and girls has had far-reaching, devastating, and traumatic effects and violates fundamental human rights. In June 2021, the Government of Kenya committed to End Gender-Based Violence (GBV), including sexual violence, by 2026. Additionally, it openly committed to taking measures aimed at addressing the systematic and structural barriers to ending violence against women through a multi-faceted approach. Despite the existence of these robust commitments, there has been a surge in the number of GBV reported cases.
Thus, guided by our vision for a just, inclusive, and equitable society where everyone lives in dignity, we call upon:
- The Government of Kenya to honour its commitments to prevent and address gender-based violence through legislative, administrative, and institutional measures and reforms, including the eradication of gender stereotypes;
- The National Police Service to conduct thorough investigations into the incident;
- The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) to prosecute the perpetrators responsible for these acts of violence and sexual harassment against the woman in the video;
- The National Transport and Safety Authority to cancel the licenses of the Boda Boda operators involved in the incident and further create awareness on the protection of women’s rights owing to the prevalence of GBV cases in the transport sector;
- The Government of Kenya to fulfill its commitments of providing quality and comprehensive services for GBV survivors across the social, health, and criminal justice systems;
- The public to be vigilant and report cases and incidences of gender-based violence to the law enforcement agencies for action; and
- All Civil Society actors to speak out on the injustices perpetrated against women and girls because together, we can make a difference.
As ICJ Kenya, we commit to engaging in the legal process to ensure that justice is served in this case and reiterate that a Nation that stifles the progress of its women stifles the progress of the whole Nation.
Signed by
Mr. Protas Saende,
The Chairman,
ICJ Kenya.
Download the statement : https://icj-kenya.org/wp-content/uploads/edd/2022/03/Statement-on-the-incidence-of-violence-against-a-woman-along-Forest-Road.pdf
