Women leaders have called for a shift from policy discussions to community-driven action in the fight against gender-based violence (GBV), warning that abuse continues to flourish behind closed doors despite strengthened government interventions.
Speaking during the Women Achievers Conference and Awards, President Ruto’s Advisor on Women’s Rights, Harriet Chiggai, said government policies and law enforcement alone cannot end the growing crisis, urging families, religious institutions, parents and communities to address the root causes of violence before incidents escalate into tragedy.
“Government is not the problem because government comes at the tail end to solve problems using policies, laws, and the police. The arm of government cannot always solve societal problems. We have to go back to the community and ask ourselves, where did the rain start beating us?” Chiggai said.
She noted that although the government has rolled out initiatives such as the Safe Homes, Safe Spaces programme, expanded women’s economic empowerment projects, the Women Data Initiative and support programmes for widows, lasting progress will only be achieved if communities confront domestic violence directly.
“I am tired of talking about GBV. I am tired of crying with women who have been abused. I am tired of discussing femicide…We are not going to sit in boardrooms again to discuss GBV and femicide. We must deal with these issues,” she said.
Chiggai cited recent statistics indicating that violence against women remains widespread, with many survivors failing to report abuse due to fear, stigma and intimidation.
“Data tells me every four women who are working, three have been abused. Data also tells me it is your love partners that are abusing you. So why are you shouting at the government all the time, yet these things are in our homes, and we have refused to talk about them?” she posed.
She also expressed concern over the growing number of child abuse cases, revealing that more than 2,600 boys were reportedly sodomised in Nairobi in 2023. Chiggai called on fathers and male role models to become more actively involved in mentoring young boys.
“It takes another man to shape a young man to be a man,” she said, urging churches and communities to support single mothers by providing positive male mentorship for children growing up without fathers.
She further challenged parents to play a greater role in guiding and protecting young people, arguing that weakened parental involvement has left many children vulnerable to abuse and exploitation.
Beyond the fight against GBV, Chiggai urged women to actively participate in politics, saying Kenya will not achieve the constitutional two-thirds gender principle through legislation alone.
“If you elect women, we will not have to have this conversation. Go and register. Go and vote for your chosen leaders. Support competent women. Democracy works best when women participate fully, not only as candidates but as voters, organisers, decision-makers, and change-makers,” she said.
Her remarks were echoed by Young Women’s Forum (YWF) Africa Patron Betty Adera, who encouraged women to measure success by the opportunities they create for others rather than the events they attend.
“History will not remember us for the conferences we attended. History will remember us for the opportunities we created and shared with other women,” Adera said.
She argued that investing in women is both a social responsibility and an economic strategy capable of transforming families, communities and future generations.
“Women do not lack potential, ideas, or resilience. Too often, what they lack is equal opportunity, equal access, and equal recognition,” she said.
Representing First Lady Rachel Ruto, Elizabeth Kosgei also urged women to seek elective positions and support one another instead of engaging in unhealthy competition.
“Take up leadership positions. Political positions. You can make it. We can make it. Let’s be the ones to shape the two-thirds gender rule,” Kosgei said.
She encouraged women to uplift each other and challenged young women to pursue leadership boldly.
“Dream anyway. Apply anyway. Lead anyway. Start anyway,” she said. “Every time we celebrate one woman, hundreds of young girls quietly begin believing, ‘Maybe that could be me one day.”
