This archive report was first published on 30 November 2019.
As we mark the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, a recent incident in the Kenyan parliament serves as a stark reminder of the need to take threats of violence against women seriously.
On November 25, a heated exchange between Didmus Barasa, Gladys Wanga, and Esther Passaris in the National Assembly took a disturbing turn when Mr. Barasa threatened to 'punch' Ms. Passaris, prompting the Speaker, Justin Muturi, to tell her not to 'take it personally.'
However, this response is not only inadequate but also perpetuates a culture of silence around gender-based violence. Telling women not to take threats personally is akin to sanitizing and normalizing the vice.
According to Counting Dead Women Kenya, a femicide awareness platform, 82 women were victims of femicide between January 1 and November 16. Kenya is among the countries with the highest cases of female homicides and abuse against women, as reported in the 2018 Global Study on Homicide: Gender-Related Killing of Women and Girls.
Women like Joyce Syombua, who died from injuries inflicted by her partner, and Lucy Nyira, who was set on fire by her husband, represent the chilling reality of women in Kenya and the world.
It's mind-boggling how any woman living in Kenya can afford not to be hysterical about gender-based violence, given the headlines about women being strangled, stabbed, shot, hacked, maimed, or set ablaze.
As we reflect on the 16 Days of Activism, let's start by giving women and girls the room to take threats personally. We need more 'bad', unapologetic women who have no qualms about owning these labels if it means speaking out against violence.
