Latest news with #violenceagainstwomen
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Women Are Sharing The Things Men Have Done That Made Them Feel Genuinely Safe, And I Need All The Dudes Out There To Take Some Serious Notes
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), violence against women is a major public health problem. Globally, about 1 in 3 women (30%) have been subjected to physical and/or sexual intimate violence with a partner, non-partner, or both. It can be very scary being a woman, and finding men who genuinely make us feel safe (platonically or romantically) is a relieving moment of solidarity in some of the scariest situations. So when Reddit user u/RawLoveOnTour asked the question, "What's something a man did for you that made you feel genuinely safe?" In r/AskWomen, I knew it would be full of stories of relief, gratefulness, and intuitive men really stepping up to help make women feel even the smallest bit safer in a world that sees so many of us mistreated: 1."The day that he asked me out for the first time (and I replied with a bouncy yes, because I'd been crushing on him hard for a long time), he asked me if I wanted a hug and then waited for my enthusiastic, 'Yes, please!' before he came in for it. That level of consent seeking has been the pattern all through our relationship as my boundaries shifted in his direction. Love the guy!" —u/Basic-Remote-1053 2."He flew me across the country, gave me my own bedroom to decorate as I wished, told me not to worry about anything, just to heal, and expected nothing in return. I am blessed." —u/Visible-Ad8410 3."I once had a room in a shared dorm in a hostel booked, and when I got there, the male receptionist was about to give me the key to the room when he realized that it would only be me and a group of like 15 men who came to watch a sports game. He immediately was like, 'Nope, not doing that,' and gave me an entire dorm room to myself." —u/biodegradableotters 4."When I was walking my dog at night at 19, I had a man walking behind us shout, 'Hello, is it okay if I walk in front of you? I don't want you to think I am following you,' maybe because he was a senior man, but it made me feel safer." —u/Look_over_that_way 5."We were going out as a gang of friends one night and kind of had to navigate by foot through a shady spot with lots of leering men. My friend held my hand immediately and walked beside me until we got to where our vehicles were parked, and we left. It was a kind reminder that some men are, in fact, sensitive to the discomfort and don't hesitate to reach out and keep you safe without being told." —u/Dr__Pheonx 6."When I was in a serious relationship with my man, I was hanging out with our collective friends. And when they basically told me that they just see me as a person and not as a woman, it made me realize that I was completely safe with them. And that they are really, really good friends." —u/Guest2424 7."I worked nights with a guy I got along with well and regarded as a friend. We'd usually walk to the bus station together after our shift; he'd just get a bus home in the other direction. One evening, he told me he had plans after work to go see a friend who lived just across the street." "Later, we're leaving, and he begins walking with me, so I ask, 'You're coming to the bus station?' Aren't you going to go see your friend?' And he looks at me like I'm unhinged and goes, 'Yeah, but I'm making sure you get home OK, silly!'" —u/chimairacle 8."He texted me when he got home before he came inside and waited for me to text back. My husband does this anytime he's gone for an unexpected/unplanned amount of time. There's nothing quite like coming out of the shower or dancing with my headphones on, and there's A MAN JUST SUDDENLY THERE. My body panics before I can register that it's my husband." —u/nanny2359 9."I used to date this guy, and whenever we walked together on the sidewalk, he always made sure to pull me to his left or right so I wouldn't be the closest one to the road. It was smooth and made me feel safe." —u/sandyguuurl 10."A fight broke out between two people on a crowded bus. It started with lots of shouting, but it was escalating quite fast. I was really uncomfortable as one of them started getting really close to me, so a man physically put himself between me and them and told them to back off. I'm really thankful for people like him." —u/g0atygoat 11."I had my head down looking at my phone in a group of four people, went to walk across the road, and he stuck his arm out to stop me from walking into the traffic. He gave me a quick smile and left. That small smile made that whole thing feel less scary than it could have been. I don't know him, but I've felt safe around that area of the city ever since. The group had left me behind; they'd crossed the road." —u/GloomyLittleGirl 12."There was a guy at school (college) who kept harassing me and trying to ask me out despite me saying no. He even figured out where my classes were and would wait for me outside the door. I told one of my friends, who was this really buff army guy, and he escorted me out of the classroom. Creeper guy never bothered me again." —u/chironinja82 13."I have a phobia of heights (specifically falling). This plays out in many ways, but especially at auditoriums (think hockey rink where you have to go down steep steps to your seat). We went somewhere I had never been, and it was the steepest/most intense reaction I had ever had!" "He never rushed me, stood in front for as long as I needed, gave me a hand/shoulder to hold in between railings (because of course they had gaps), and was a calm/steady support. He even kept his arm across me when we were seated (like a seatbelt) because I asked him to. He never complained, got annoyed, or invalidated me. He just gave unconditional support and told me how great I was doing. I would not have even tried if he wasn't there." —u/ICUP1985 And finally, here's a nice one to read for all the women who enjoy a nice solo trip: 14."I was on my first solo trip. It was the first day, and I was nervous. The auto driver was making small talk, and I was being hyperaware and dodging questions. I think he realized I was uncomfortable and started talking about himself and his family instead. I instantly relaxed once I realized he didn't have any ill intention." "I told him I had a show I was seeing in the evening and asked if I'd be able to get a cab or something late at night. He offered to drop me off. I hesitated because I didn't want him to know where I was staying, but I also didn't want to walk alone at night in a foreign city. He noticed and offered some numbers of other drivers, gave me a taxi service number, and even suggested I stay at a hotel for the night near where the show was. He was a great guy, and I still have his number for any time I visit the city again." —u/StopthinkingitsMe Do you have your own story to share about a time a man did something that made you feel genuinely safe? Let me know your story in the comments! Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity. Solve the daily Crossword
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Influential women urge inclusion of asylum seekers in Labour plans to tackle violence
More than 50 influential women, including actors, authors and comedians, have warned in a letter to the government against the risk of creating a 'two-tier' system to tackle violence against women and girls if tens of thousands of female asylum seekers are left out. Labour has pledged to halve violence against women and girls in the next decade and is due to publish its strategy in September. According to research from the charity Women For Refugee Women, which coordinated the letter, more than 85% of female asylum seekers have been raped or tortured. They are a particularly vulnerable group, who have often suffered violence in the home countries they have fled from and on their journeys seeking safety. Signatories of the letter include Cherie Blair KC, Elif Shafak, Ali Smith, Juliet Stevenson, Laura Whitmore, Zoë Wanamaker, Rosie Jones and the former Green party leader Caroline Lucas. Their message to the government is that violence does not stop at the border. But they warn serious gaps in the UK's asylum process leave many retraumatised by a system exposes them to further harm. They are calling for: Fast-tracking asylum claims for women from high grant-rate countries such as Afghanistan, Sudan and Eritrea. Reforming asylum accommodation so women have somewhere safe to call home. Lifting the ban on work for women seeking asylum to prevent further exploitation and harm. The letter states the government's commitment to halving the rate of violence against women within the next decade is unachievable unless it includes women seeking safety in the UK. It adds that without action the government risks creating a two-tier system, with women seeking asylum treated as less deserving and left behind. 'The government is right to say that violence against women is a national emergency. But this national emergency cannot be tackled without including all women – including those who have sought safety here. Violence doesn't stop at the border and neither should our compassion and support for survivors,' the letter says. Blair said: 'We must create a country and a world where all women and girls are protected from gender-based violence. Women and girls who seek asylum in the UK often do so because they want a life that's free from violence and abuse. The UK government needs to consider their needs as they seek to tackle violence against women and girls and create a safer, more peaceful country for all.' Whitmore said: 'I am proud to have signed this letter to urge the government to include all women – including those seeking asylum here – in its commitment to tackle violence against women. No woman should be left behind when it comes to protection from violence.' The Home Office declined to respond directly to the calls made in the letter for a commitment to include asylum-seeker women and girls in its new strategy. A Home Office spokesperson said: 'The scale of violence and abuse suffered by women and girls in this country is nothing less than a national emergency. That's why we have pledged to halve violence against women and girls in a decade. 'We have taken immediate action to increase protection against vile perpetrators. This includes launching a new national centre for violence against women and girls and public protection, Raneem's law, which puts domestic abuse specialists in 999 control rooms, and new domestic abuse protection orders. 'We will set out further plans in a new, transformative strategy to halve violence against women and girls, which we aim to publish in September.'
CNN
7 days ago
- CNN
What the brutal killing of a female police officer reveals about Kenya's femicide crisis
Roy Wanyonyi steps into the dark and dusty living room, its armchairs still carefully adorned in white lace covers, though it has been many months since guests sat here. The last time he and his wife, Maximilla Mwanga, were in this home in Webuye, an industrial town in western Kenya, was a little over a year ago. It was also the last time he saw his daughter, Tiffany Wanyonyi, alive. Like her father, Tiffany was a police officer. She was stationed in the capital, Nairobi, where she lived with her two children. In March 2024, after her grandmother passed away, Tiffany returned to her childhood home to attend the funeral. After the service, Tiffany appeared in good spirits, reminiscing about her grandmother's long life before leaving the gathering with her husband. She never made it back to Nairobi. The next morning, Wanyonyi woke up to the most devastating phone call of his life. It was the local police commander: Tiffany had been murdered. 'My head just went dizzy,' Wanyonyi told CNN. 'I didn't believe…' he added, struggling to find the words to describe his shock, even now. At the morgue, Wanyonyi and Mwanga, Tiffany's stepmother, faced their worst nightmare. 'The way I found my daughter… was not easy,' Mwanga said, her voice quivering. 'She was in two pieces: her head and the body.' Tiffany's husband, Jackson Ololtele, is now awaiting trial, charged with her murder. He has pleaded not guilty. In a country facing a surge in violence against women, Tiffany's case underlines that even female police officers are not immune. Last year was the deadliest for women in Kenya, with 170 reported killed (including 127 murders labeled as femicides), according to Africa Data Hub in partnership with Odipodev and Africa Uncensored, which analyzed news reports and court records going back almost a decade. Already, 2025 is shaping up to be just as deadly. Between January and March 2025 alone, 129 women were killed according to Kenya's National Police Service, local media reported. The police service wouldn't confirm this figure or previous years to CNN and campaigners have argued a lack of centralized data is part of the problem in tackling femicide. The violence is so pervasive that several police officers working on 'gender desks' – a special unit established a decade ago to address Kenya's gender-based violence – told CNN of female colleagues who had been victims of gender-based violence themselves. Such officers are often silenced by stigma, burdened by trauma and failed by the very system they serve, according to experts and female police officers who spoke to CNN. A dedicated counselling and chaplaincy department is available for officers, Kenya Police spokesperson, Muchiri Nyaga, told CNN. The force would not comment further on perceived failures in the system. After her death, Tiffany's parents moved from her childhood home in Webuye. In the garden today, a simple cross and plaque mark her grave. Inside their new home, Wanyonyi looks at a photograph of Tiffany in her police uniform, his fingers lingering over her khaki jacket. 'It was her graduation day,' he said of his first-born child, his eyes crinkling fondly at the memory of watching the ceremony, which was broadcast on national television. It was also one of the proudest moments for their family of officers – Roy's second-born son is an intelligence officer. But behind these proud moments were deep struggles. Tiffany's uniform was no protection from violence in the home, her parents told CNN. She often clashed with her husband over his refusal to seek employment or provide financially for their children, said Wanyonyi and Mwanga. When asked if his daughter's job as a police officer offered her protection from domestic abuse, Wanyonyi shook his head. Tiffany's husband didn't see her as a police officer, he said. He saw her 'as his wife.' Wanyonyi recalled how after one particularly violent confrontation he felt compelled to intervene. He reported the assault to the police. But just a few days later, the couple reconciled – and Tiffany, being the named victim, withdrew the case. When Mwanga asked Tiffany why she withdrew the case, she said: ''Mommy, that's the man I love.'' Njeri Wa Migwi – a domestic violence survivor and leading activist in Kenya's fight against femicide – has heard countless stories like this over the years, including from women, like Tiffany, who are often seen as pillars of support for victims. 'The saddest bit about my work,' Wa Migwi told CNN, 'is that even the person you are reporting to could be a victim of gender-based violence,' referring to female police officers. Because Kenyan law requires that any crime be reported within the jurisdiction where it occurred, many female officers choose to remain silent themselves, afraid of the shame and stigma they might face from their own colleagues in reporting their own abuse. Tiffany's parents recounted how barely a year into her service as a police officer, she confided to them about her deep humiliation whenever her husband publicly quarreled with and abused her –– often in full view of her colleagues, both at the station and in the staff residential quarters. In her 20 years in the police service, Consolata – whose name has been changed to protect her identity – has seen many fellow female officers go to extreme lengths to hide their abuse. She recalled one colleague, a fellow officer, increasingly withdrawing from work, and later, turning to alcohol to cope. 'When I pressed her to explain (her change in behavior), she simply said: 'I'm scared when darkness comes. I don't want to go to the house,'' Consolata told CNN. The officer later revealed to Consolata that she was being sexually assaulted by a senior inspector, who in public posed as an attentive mentor. The officer did not report the abuse and the Kenya Police Service would not comment on the incident. Another fellow female officer repeatedly turned up to work with injuries, Consolata said, and explained them as accidents. Only after neighbors raised concerns did the truth emerge: She was being abused by her husband. The female officer did press charges against her husband. Though eventually she opted to drop the case, leave the relationship, and request a transfer to a different station. Consolata isn't surprised by her colleagues' initial silence. 'Most officers are reluctant to speak up because of societal expectations,' she added. The high-risk nature of female police officers' work – from confronting criminals to handling dangerous investigations – means they are often seen as 'strong women,' a perception that pressures many of them to hide any signs of vulnerability. But keeping up this public persona has its dangers, Consolata said. If female police officers entrusted with seeking justice for women and girls are afraid to speak out about their own abuse, 'how can someone be sure that their case will be taken seriously?' Consolata said, adding: 'I think it shakes the public's confidence.' Meanwhile, the number of female police officers is declining, according to Fatuma Mohamed, Commissioner at the Kenya-based Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA). She cites a report from UN Women which found that in March 2023, of the 106,830 Kenyan police officers, just 7,457 were women – roughly 6.9%. And yet nowhere are female officers needed more than on the gender desk. In Kenyan police stations, this is the first port of call for women and girls reporting gender-based violence –– and the face they are greeted with matters. Declining numbers of female police officers means that gender desks are sometimes solely manned by male officers, which can feel intimidating for women reporting intimate partner violence. 'When it comes to sexual violation,' explained Dorcas Amakobe, executive director of the sports development organization Moving the Goalposts, there are things that 'from a cultural perspective, a young woman or a parent would feel uncomfortable telling a man.' Public trust in the police has already taken a hit amid recent high-profile cases of alleged police brutality, including at most recent anti-government protests earlier this month where at least 31 people died and hundreds were arrested, according to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR). While these clashes with police have been dominating headlines, campaigners against the femicide crisis are still working to keep their issue in the spotlight. That includes how reports of gender-based violence are handled by the police. For female victims of abuse, coming forward to report the crime might be more comfortable for women 'when you find someone who looks like you,' Amakobe said of the need for female officers at gender desks. Gender desk officer Rehema Fondo told CNN, 'We hear stories every single day, sometimes five cases in one shift. It's overwhelming,' of incidents which might span harassment, assault and rape. 'At the end of the day, we're human too. We need psychological support.' In response, Kenya Police spokesperson, Muchiri Nyaga, pointed to the force's counselling service. Though he did acknowledge to CNN there is a growing concern within the force over the limited number of female officers in general – which he hopes to tackle with a recruitment drive later this year. Meanwhile Kenyan activists have criticized the government's disconnect between its rhetoric on femicide and its actions. Late last year, Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi launched the 'Safe Homes, Safe Spaces' initiative, which aimed to address gender-based violence in the country. But his message was quickly overshadowed. The following day, the police cracked down on nationwide protesters rallying against femicide. 'In Kenya, it feels like the right to assemble is no longer protected by the constitution,' Wa Migwi told CNN, recalling how she was tear-gassed while peacefully attending the protest. 'We were simply crying out — stop killing us. And yet, in that very moment, for demanding our rights, we were beaten, humiliated, tear-gassed.' Kenya's principal secretary for Internal Security and National Administration, Dr. Raymond Omollo, described the police's actions as 'unfortunate,' acknowledging that while the intent was to maintain order, the execution was 'regrettable.' Wa Migwi believes the Kenyan government should declare the femicide crisis a national disaster, much like it did with the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the late 1990s. After it was declared a national disaster, 'they put their resources into (fighting) it,' she added. Other human rights experts have called out the country's entrenched patriarchal norms and weak law enforcement, which they say has deepened the femicide crisis. In January, President William Ruto acknowledged in a special issue of The Kenya Gazette that there were 'existing gaps in prevention, response, investigations, prosecution, data management, and survivor support systems in GBV and femicide cases.' He committed to enhanced legal, investigative, and institutional reforms including a specialized task force, police and hospital gender desks, and support for survivors — while also calling on citizens and communities to take moral responsibility. But for Wanyonyi and Mwanga –– who are now left to raise Tiffany's two children –– these government pledges need to be followed with real change. Wanyonyi called for an urgent 'way to finish it (the violence epidemic),' adding that women and girls are being 'slaughtered, being killed.' The femicide crisis 'leaves scars' on so many 'innocent people,' he said. If you, or someone you know, is being affected by domestic violence, a worldwide list of directories is provided by UN Women. You can also find a list of national agencies on The Pixel Project. Reporter Ian Wafula Editors Sheena McKenzie, Kara Fox Visual Editor Carlotta Dotto Senior Video Producer Ladan Anoushfar Video Editor Estefania Rodriguez Camera Simon Mwai Saitabao Kaiyare Photo editor Toby Hancock
CNN
7 days ago
- CNN
What the brutal killing of a female police officer reveals about Kenya's femicide crisis
Roy Wanyonyi steps into the dark and dusty living room, its armchairs still carefully adorned in white lace covers, though it has been many months since guests sat here. The last time he and his wife, Maximilla Mwanga, were in this home in Webuye, an industrial town in western Kenya, was a little over a year ago. It was also the last time he saw his daughter, Tiffany Wanyonyi, alive. Like her father, Tiffany was a police officer. She was stationed in the capital, Nairobi, where she lived with her two children. In March 2024, after her grandmother passed away, Tiffany returned to her childhood home to attend the funeral. After the service, Tiffany appeared in good spirits, reminiscing about her grandmother's long life before leaving the gathering with her husband. She never made it back to Nairobi. The next morning, Wanyonyi woke up to the most devastating phone call of his life. It was the local police commander: Tiffany had been murdered. 'My head just went dizzy,' Wanyonyi told CNN. 'I didn't believe…' he added, struggling to find the words to describe his shock, even now. At the morgue, Wanyonyi and Mwanga, Tiffany's stepmother, faced their worst nightmare. 'The way I found my daughter… was not easy,' Mwanga said, her voice quivering. 'She was in two pieces: her head and the body.' Tiffany's husband, Jackson Ololtele, is now awaiting trial, charged with her murder. He has pleaded not guilty. In a country facing a surge in violence against women, Tiffany's case underlines that even female police officers are not immune. Last year was the deadliest for women in Kenya, with 170 reported killed (including 127 murders labeled as femicides), according to Africa Data Hub in partnership with Odipodev and Africa Uncensored, which analyzed news reports and court records going back almost a decade. Already, 2025 is shaping up to be just as deadly. Between January and March 2025 alone, 129 women were killed according to Kenya's National Police Service, local media reported. The police service wouldn't confirm this figure or previous years to CNN and campaigners have argued a lack of centralized data is part of the problem in tackling femicide. The violence is so pervasive that several police officers working on 'gender desks' – a special unit established a decade ago to address Kenya's gender-based violence – told CNN of female colleagues who had been victims of gender-based violence themselves. Such officers are often silenced by stigma, burdened by trauma and failed by the very system they serve, according to experts and female police officers who spoke to CNN. A dedicated counselling and chaplaincy department is available for officers, Kenya Police spokesperson, Muchiri Nyaga, told CNN. The force would not comment further on perceived failures in the system. After her death, Tiffany's parents moved from her childhood home in Webuye. In the garden today, a simple cross and plaque mark her grave. Inside their new home, Wanyonyi looks at a photograph of Tiffany in her police uniform, his fingers lingering over her khaki jacket. 'It was her graduation day,' he said of his first-born child, his eyes crinkling fondly at the memory of watching the ceremony, which was broadcast on national television. It was also one of the proudest moments for their family of officers – Roy's second-born son is an intelligence officer. But behind these proud moments were deep struggles. Tiffany's uniform was no protection from violence in the home, her parents told CNN. She often clashed with her husband over his refusal to seek employment or provide financially for their children, said Wanyonyi and Mwanga. When asked if his daughter's job as a police officer offered her protection from domestic abuse, Wanyonyi shook his head. Tiffany's husband didn't see her as a police officer, he said. He saw her 'as his wife.' Wanyonyi recalled how after one particularly violent confrontation he felt compelled to intervene. He reported the assault to the police. But just a few days later, the couple reconciled – and Tiffany, being the named victim, withdrew the case. When Mwanga asked Tiffany why she withdrew the case, she said: ''Mommy, that's the man I love.'' Njeri Wa Migwi – a domestic violence survivor and leading activist in Kenya's fight against femicide – has heard countless stories like this over the years, including from women, like Tiffany, who are often seen as pillars of support for victims. 'The saddest bit about my work,' Wa Migwi told CNN, 'is that even the person you are reporting to could be a victim of gender-based violence,' referring to female police officers. Because Kenyan law requires that any crime be reported within the jurisdiction where it occurred, many female officers choose to remain silent themselves, afraid of the shame and stigma they might face from their own colleagues in reporting their own abuse. Tiffany's parents recounted how barely a year into her service as a police officer, she confided to them about her deep humiliation whenever her husband publicly quarreled with and abused her –– often in full view of her colleagues, both at the station and in the staff residential quarters. In her 20 years in the police service, Consolata – whose name has been changed to protect her identity – has seen many fellow female officers go to extreme lengths to hide their abuse. She recalled one colleague, a fellow officer, increasingly withdrawing from work, and later, turning to alcohol to cope. 'When I pressed her to explain (her change in behavior), she simply said: 'I'm scared when darkness comes. I don't want to go to the house,'' Consolata told CNN. The officer later revealed to Consolata that she was being sexually assaulted by a senior inspector, who in public posed as an attentive mentor. The officer did not report the abuse and the Kenya Police Service would not comment on the incident. Another fellow female officer repeatedly turned up to work with injuries, Consolata said, and explained them as accidents. Only after neighbors raised concerns did the truth emerge: She was being abused by her husband. The female officer did press charges against her husband. Though eventually she opted to drop the case, leave the relationship, and request a transfer to a different station. Consolata isn't surprised by her colleagues' initial silence. 'Most officers are reluctant to speak up because of societal expectations,' she added. The high-risk nature of female police officers' work – from confronting criminals to handling dangerous investigations – means they are often seen as 'strong women,' a perception that pressures many of them to hide any signs of vulnerability. But keeping up this public persona has its dangers, Consolata said. If female police officers entrusted with seeking justice for women and girls are afraid to speak out about their own abuse, 'how can someone be sure that their case will be taken seriously?' Consolata said, adding: 'I think it shakes the public's confidence.' Meanwhile, the number of female police officers is declining, according to Fatuma Mohamed, Commissioner at the Kenya-based Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA). She cites a report from UN Women which found that in March 2023, of the 106,830 Kenyan police officers, just 7,457 were women – roughly 6.9%. And yet nowhere are female officers needed more than on the gender desk. In Kenyan police stations, this is the first port of call for women and girls reporting gender-based violence –– and the face they are greeted with matters. Declining numbers of female police officers means that gender desks are sometimes solely manned by male officers, which can feel intimidating for women reporting intimate partner violence. 'When it comes to sexual violation,' explained Dorcas Amakobe, executive director of the sports development organization Moving the Goalposts, there are things that 'from a cultural perspective, a young woman or a parent would feel uncomfortable telling a man.' Public trust in the police has already taken a hit amid recent high-profile cases of alleged police brutality, including at most recent anti-government protests earlier this month where at least 31 people died and hundreds were arrested, according to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR). While these clashes with police have been dominating headlines, campaigners against the femicide crisis are still working to keep their issue in the spotlight. That includes how reports of gender-based violence are handled by the police. For female victims of abuse, coming forward to report the crime might be more comfortable for women 'when you find someone who looks like you,' Amakobe said of the need for female officers at gender desks. Gender desk officer Rehema Fondo told CNN, 'We hear stories every single day, sometimes five cases in one shift. It's overwhelming,' of incidents which might span harassment, assault and rape. 'At the end of the day, we're human too. We need psychological support.' In response, Kenya Police spokesperson, Muchiri Nyaga, pointed to the force's counselling service. Though he did acknowledge to CNN there is a growing concern within the force over the limited number of female officers in general – which he hopes to tackle with a recruitment drive later this year. Meanwhile Kenyan activists have criticized the government's disconnect between its rhetoric on femicide and its actions. Late last year, Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi launched the 'Safe Homes, Safe Spaces' initiative, which aimed to address gender-based violence in the country. But his message was quickly overshadowed. The following day, the police cracked down on nationwide protesters rallying against femicide. 'In Kenya, it feels like the right to assemble is no longer protected by the constitution,' Wa Migwi told CNN, recalling how she was tear-gassed while peacefully attending the protest. 'We were simply crying out — stop killing us. And yet, in that very moment, for demanding our rights, we were beaten, humiliated, tear-gassed.' Kenya's principal secretary for Internal Security and National Administration, Dr. Raymond Omollo, described the police's actions as 'unfortunate,' acknowledging that while the intent was to maintain order, the execution was 'regrettable.' Wa Migwi believes the Kenyan government should declare the femicide crisis a national disaster, much like it did with the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the late 1990s. After it was declared a national disaster, 'they put their resources into (fighting) it,' she added. Other human rights experts have called out the country's entrenched patriarchal norms and weak law enforcement, which they say has deepened the femicide crisis. In January, President William Ruto acknowledged in a special issue of The Kenya Gazette that there were 'existing gaps in prevention, response, investigations, prosecution, data management, and survivor support systems in GBV and femicide cases.' He committed to enhanced legal, investigative, and institutional reforms including a specialized task force, police and hospital gender desks, and support for survivors — while also calling on citizens and communities to take moral responsibility. But for Wanyonyi and Mwanga –– who are now left to raise Tiffany's two children –– these government pledges need to be followed with real change. Wanyonyi called for an urgent 'way to finish it (the violence epidemic),' adding that women and girls are being 'slaughtered, being killed.' The femicide crisis 'leaves scars' on so many 'innocent people,' he said. If you, or someone you know, is being affected by domestic violence, a worldwide list of directories is provided by UN Women. You can also find a list of national agencies on The Pixel Project. Reporter Ian Wafula Editors Sheena McKenzie, Kara Fox Visual Editor Carlotta Dotto Senior Video Producer Ladan Anoushfar Video Editor Estefania Rodriguez Camera Simon Mwai Saitabao Kaiyare Photo editor Toby Hancock
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Abuse victims on work permits get better support
People fleeing domestic abuse who are in Jersey on work permits will be offered more support as part of a shift in government policy. In what officials described as a "significant" change, survivors can now access emergency housing and 13 weeks of financial support. It is part of Jersey's wider action plan to tackle violence against women and girls, following a landmark report published last year. More than half of the 77 recommendations made in that report are now under way. Previously, some individuals on short-term permits were excluded from financial aid and housing options - a gap campaigners had long criticised as leaving victims trapped in unsafe situations. Deputy Mary Le Hegarat, Minister for Justice and Home Affairs, said: "That change - guaranteeing 13 weeks' pay - is already making a significant difference." She added that 42 of the 77 action points are currently in progress, with legislative reform also high on the agenda. "We're determined to complete as many as possible by the end of the term," she said. "The legislative changes need to be ready for debate before the next election - that's a key priority." Early intervention and training The government is also rolling out wider training for frontline workers, aimed at identifying early signs of abuse and coercive control. This includes sessions for teachers, housing staff, veterinary professionals and social services - all sectors considered well-placed to spot warning signs. "The more people trained to spot the signs, the more chance we have to intervene before abuse escalates," said Le Hegarat. More news stories for Jersey Listen to the latest news for Jersey Culture change must begin early, she added, highlighting a peer-led programme in schools where older students deliver sessions about healthy relationships to younger pupils. She also emphasised that sustainable funding is essential for victims to feel safe reporting abuse - and to ensure services remain in place. "This can't just be a time-limited project. Ongoing funding is essential so that victims feel safe to come forward - and know support will still be there," she said. While acknowledging that challenges remain, the government said the island's progress was "on track". Follow BBC Jersey on X and Facebook. Send your story ideas to More on this story Progress 'being made on violence against women' 'Jersey's domestic abuse law is failing survivors' Related internet links States of Jersey
