The unprincipled assault on a young woman in Narok has reignited urgency calls not only for safeguarding women from physical harm but also for protection in the digital world throughout Kenya.
The minister of Gender Affairs, Hanna Wendot, was categorical when she said that Kenya is not a victim but a perpetrator—in that retrogressive culture and violence keep on coming to women, yet the country continues to do nothing about it.
Her comments come when the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARD-C) is releasing a report, which among other things, says that the differences in the level of technology are narrowing, and in both countries, technology is being used for the same purposes, including to abuse women.
The study indicates that although both countries have laws aimed at protecting women, these laws are fragmented and old. In Kenya, the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act (2018), the Sexual Offences Act (2006), and the Data Protection Act (2019) are not mutually supportive and do not adequately reflect the realities of online abuse. Correspondingly, in Nigeria, the disparities between constitutional rights, the Data Protection Act, and the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act result in significant legal blind spots that make women vulnerable.
The report says that there is a problem with the implementation of even the existing laws. The cultural impediments, stigma, shame, and lack of knowledge about rights are among the reasons why women victims of online and gender-based abuse hardly report the cases.
To fix these problems, the report proposes reworking laws to cover digital-oriented gender-related issues, providing cyber-forensic tools to law enforcement officers as well as prosecutors and judges, and setting up qualified psychological support networks for the victims. Besides that, it asks technology companies to show their commitment by putting into place concrete and transparent safety measures.
“The elimination of violence against women, whether perpetrated physically or through the use of technology, is a very urgent matter requiring action from everyone, including each sector of society,” says the report in its conclusion.
