Take urgent action  to curb femicide

The rising femicide cases are alarming. They are fuelling concern and urgent calls to end the violence against women.

According to United Nations Development Programme, femicide “is the murder of a woman by a man, motivated by hatred of women and done out of contempt and a sense of superiority”.

For its part, the World Health Organization defines femicide as the “intentional murder of women because they are women”. 

Rising cases of femicide in Kenya have brought to the fore the glaring violations of the rights of women. The safety of women must be guaranteed, as they appear to be targeted purely on the basis of their gender. 

Like men, their right to life, which is a human right, is being crudely violated, leaving many families in anguish. These victims are mothers, grandmothers, wives, sisters, sisters-in-law and nieces.

Women are integral members of their communities, where they play pivotal roles in their families. There is, therefore, an urgent need to protect women from femicide and gender-based violence.

Three women have been killed in the past few days in a suspected love triangle. One suspect is in police custody, another is on the run and the third reportedly took his own life.

The families of the three women are grieving, all as a result of the murders. These crimes of passion are on the increase, with fights between spouses after sudden disagreements or long-term differences.

According to a UN Office on Drugs and Crime report, 725 women and girls were murdered in Kenya in 2022, while Amnesty International says more than 500 femicides have been recorded.

It is instructive that President William Ruto appointed a 34-member task force that has just started its job of fighting against gender-based violence, including femicide.

The upsurge in the femicide cases must not only be strongly condemned, but urgent measures must be taken to stop the grave scourge.