Makayla Bangoura
Overview
In September of 2024, Rebecca Cheptegei, a Ugandan Olympic track athlete, died in Kenya after succumbing to burn injuries inflicted on her by her former partner. A similar incident occurred three years prior when Kenyan runner Agnes Tirop was stabbed to death by her husband in October of 2021. These horrific incidents have sparked outrage across Africa and brought awareness to domestic violence and homicide against women in Africa.
Background and Protests
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines femicide as the intentional murder of women solely because of their gender. Gender-based violence and femicide have long been present in African countries, and discrimination against women has become a relevant social and political issue. In 2022, the United Nations stated that the continent of Africa had the highest rate of femicide for the year with over 20,000 women being killed by domestic partners or family members. The high occurrence of gender-based violence and murder incidents can be perceived as a systemic problem caused by misogyny and the cultural gender discrimination that is prevalent across Africa. The social conversation surrounding the high rates of femicide often transfers the blame back onto women, blaming their behavior or appearance for the crimes done to them. Senator Tabitha Mutinda, a politician in Kenya, shared this sentiment in a statement where she alluded that young women contribute to the high rates of gender-based homicide because they are infatuated with money and are looking for men to finance their lifestyles. So far, those who have advocated for change and awareness in the political landscape have only been women.
Protests and activist groups have emerged in recent years to bring awareness to the femicide crisis. One group that has gained immense recognition is Tirop’s Angels, named in honor of Agnes Tirop. Following the recent death of Cheptegei, Viola Cheptoo, the chair of Tirop’s Angels, stated that femicide is “a menace, it’s a pandemic” in Kenya. At the beginning of 2024, women in Kenya took to the streets to protest the murders of nearly fourteen to twenty-one individuals, all of whom were women. Additionally, approximately 500 women were killed in Kenya between 2016 and 2024, and it is assumed this number is higher due to most femicide incidents going unreported. The Federation of Women Lawyers in Kenya (FIDA) urged for a declaration of a national crisis by the President, to bring an end to femicide. The protests and massive outcries for change have also occurred in Nigeria, South Africa, and Uganda. In South Africa, the organization The Total Shutdown protested against femicide and gender-based violence. Protests reemerged in 2019 following the death of 19-year-old Nene Mrewtyana, who was murdered by a post-office employee. This horrific murder brought 4,000 to protest for an end to femicide.
Current Data
In 2022, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime released a brief on gender-related killings and stated that Africa had the highest number of gender-related killings relative to the continent’s population, with 17,200 gender-based murders occurring in 2021. This means that for every 100,000 people, 2.5 women died from femicide. In 2022, the number of murders increased to 20,000 gender-related murders, which averages roughly 54 murders daily. The Gender Violence Recovery Center recorded that between 39 percent and 47 percent of women in Kenya have experienced gender violence of some kind. The Carnegie Endowment recorded that in the country of Kenya, 75 percent of femicide victims were killed by partners or family members, and 80 percent of these victims were killed inside their own homes. Traditionally, there is an uptick in the number of femicides during times of economic instability. Human rights activists indicate that the lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic and the financial hardships that followed led to more occurrences of gender-based violence and homicides in recent years.
Policy Initiatives
There have been several initiatives put forth by INGOs and state governments to tackle not only femicide and gender-based violence but all discrimination against women. In 2003, the African Union (AU) adopted the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, also known as the Maputo Protocol. This protocol states what Africa must do to ensure equality and protection of women and girls all over Africa. Article 4 of the Maputo Protocol addresses human rights violations and states that women have a right to life, integrity, and security. The section also provides a safeguard for women against violence and exploitation. However, violence and murders continued to occur at an increasing rate in the twenty-one years after the protocol was adopted. Currently, only 44 out of the 55 AU member states have ratified the Maputo Protocol, and many states have yet to effectively implement these measures into their domestic policy.
In 2023, the AU developed the African Union Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls, and the convention is set to be adopted in 2025. This new mechanism intends to install a legal framework aimed at eradicating all means of violence against women and girls across the continent. This new initiative will also make sure that state parties of the convention will abide by the legalities of the document. This convention aims to comprehensively address the issues that allow femicides to continue across the continent while allowing citizens to be engaged in the fight.
South Africa is one of the few states that has taken the initiative to implement policies to protect the rights of women. In 2020, the state adopted the South African National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide, which is a government program that aims to end all violence against women and children. This program has implemented comprehensive legal reform, a response fund for victims, and psychological resources for victims.
Conclusion
Africa has the highest rates of femicide worldwide, thus making femicide a human rights crisis for women and girls across the continent. For significant change to occur, it is important for all states in the AU to ratify the Maputo Protocol and honor its rights, as well as fully implement the guidelines that are stated in the document. Additionally, the state governments within Africa must take the steps necessary to enact domestic policies that tackle gender-based violence and femicide. The future of women in Africa is at stake, and protective measures need to be taken to protect the safety and security of women and girls.
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