How did we get to killing each other? Who should we hold accountable for the ongoing rise of femicide cases and who is not playing their role well? These were some of the guiding questions for our Coffee Bar Tuesday discussion. This was also a pick up from last week’s discussion where we shared on what could be the reason why our women are being butchered day in day out and we are yet to get any statement from the government.

Read previous discussion here https://www.mukuruyi.org/2024/01/17/femicides-is-there-a-justification/

Examining the four femicide cases that unfolded in January alone, it became evident that a systemic failure was at play. An alarming case brought to light was that of Scarlet Wahu, where prior victims had reported the perpetrator, John Matara, to various police stations. Shockingly, these reports went unaddressed, leading to the tragic loss of Scarlet Wahu. This raised the critical question: if the authorities had acted on previous reports, could she still be alive today?

Participants were able to share where the blame should be directed to which includes Kenyan government, security agencies, society, families, men, women and even friends. The societal aspect has surfaced as a major catalyst for the escalating femicide cases. The existing social construct, frequently relegating women to subordinate roles and fostering power imbalances within families, was pinpointed as a breeding ground for the emergence of these heinous acts.

“We have been socially constructed to believe that women are powerless and men should always lead the way creating power imbalances between different families.” Participant shared

Families were also not left out as some participants argued that a lack of love and support within familial circles could drive individuals to seek validation elsewhere, often falling prey to exploitative and dangerous influences. This perspective sparked mixed reactions, with some attributing family dynamics as contributing factors to unthinkable actions. Looking at some of the victims do come from well-off families meaning money was never a contributing factor.

Social construction is also something that stood out during the discussion. We have been socially constructed that women should always come second in everything and their say is not as important as it should be. This results to backlash when a woman raises their voice on something. Additionally, societal expectations dictate that men should portray strength even in moments of vulnerability, potentially leading to harmful coping mechanisms that result to harming others.  

As a key takeaway, participants emphasized the need to treat everyone as human beings first, advocating for equal treatment. The constitution’s right to life must be upheld and protected by the government. The government agencies must also play their role accordingly: if someone reports something they should be able to follow up ASAP. We also need clear policies that regulate some of these contributing factors and at the end men should stop killing women and there’s no justification for killing anyone. See you on Tuesday!