From Sweden and India to Kenya, men must now stand up to protect women
What you need to know:
- With reports of a woman being raped every 18 hours in New Delhi, the capital city is now infamously known as the “rape capital” of India.
- Some 28,200 cases of assault against women were reported to the police in 2014.
- A few weeks ago, the United Nations Office in Nairobi launched the #HeForShe online campaign, urging men to sign on as #HeForShe champions in a public demonstration of their own commitment to prevent violence and discrimination against women and girls.
In 2014, during rush hour, a woman was at a crowded bus stop in Nairobi, waiting to start her journey back home.
She was set upon by a group of men, who roughed her up and tore off her clothes.
They kicked her and beat her up as she screamed for help and tried to cover herself up. Her crime? Wearing a short skirt.
Every day, women all over the world pay the price for the unequal power relations between women and men.
Whether it is a woman being stripped on a street in Nairobi for being “indecently” dressed, an Indian student gang-raped in a bus, a Swedish girl beaten unconscious by her boyfriend, or a female manager passed over for promotion, they all represent the ultimate consequences of societal attitudes put in place to hold women down.
The end result? Through various types of control and intimidation, half of humanity is stopped from enjoying their rights.
Women and girls experience violence in all forms at home and in public, all over the globe. In many countries silence reigns on the pervasiveness of domestic violence against women.
It is no secret that India ranks, with Afghanistan, Congo, and Somalia, as one of the most dangerous places for women. With reports of a woman being raped every 18 hours in New Delhi, the capital city is now infamously known as the “rape capital” of India.
GENDER VIOLENCE
While commonly regarded as one of the leading countries with regard to gender equality, Sweden is hardly a stranger to gender violence. Some 28,200 cases of assault against women were reported to the police in 2014.
Over the past year, Kenya has seen staggering reports of violence against women. Not only was the violence brutal in nature, but most disturbing and worrying is the nonchalant attitude among those witnessing it.
The 2008-09 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) found that four out of 10 women have experienced some form of gender violence, which includes female genital mutilation. Particularly alarming is the fact that the latest 2014 KDHS survey shows that 41 per cent of women have experienced violence — both sexual and physical — perpetrated by a family member.
The time has come for all men, irrespective of nationality or profession, to introspect.
A few weeks ago, the United Nations Office in Nairobi launched the #HeForShe online campaign, urging men to sign on as #HeForShe champions in a public demonstration of their own commitment to prevent violence and discrimination against women and girls.
The #HeForShe campaign aims to bring home the message that although laws exist to deal with gender violence and guarantee gender equality, every man must take personal responsibility to root out the vice of gender discrimination in his home. Only then can a society begin to take a stand together to bring to an end injustice committed against women and girls.
ECONOMIC GAINS
The #HeForShe campaign is also about recognising the enormous economic gains society stands to make when women are able to grow up in environments that are kept free of gender violence and discrimination. One study estimates that reducing barriers to women’s participation in emerging economies could raise per capita incomes by as much as 14 per cent.
Violence and discriminative structures contribute to keeping women out of the workforce, thus dragging down women, their families and entire communities for generations. For Kenya to reach the goals enshrined in Vision 2030, the potential of all Kenyans, women and men, has to be realised.
Time for change has come. All men must take a firm stand against violence and discrimination for Kenya to reach its full promise and potential as a people and a nation.
We urge all boys and men, faith and community leaders, youth and elders, and people at all levels of society to join the #HeForShe initiative, to put an end to discrimination and violence against all women and girls.
Mr Borgstam is the ambassador of Sweden to Kenya; Twitter: @jborgstam. Mr Collymore is the CEO of Safaricom; Twitter: @bobcollymore. Mr Chatterjee is the United Nations Population Fund representative to Kenya; Twitter: @sidchat1. Mr Kaikai is the managing editor and general manager for television at the Nation Media Group; Twitter: @linuskaikai
