Gender Forum

Women politicians and journalists have fallen victim of false information, most often through personal attacks meant to discourage them from politics or silence their voices in the media. Studies by AMWIK, ‘Women Journalists’ Digital Security’ in 2016 and 2017 indicate that social media has been the most used platform for attacks against female journalists, with the most common gendered attacks being cyber stalking, sexual harassment, impersonation with parody accounts, surveillance and un-authorized use and manipulation of personal information, including images, and videos. With more women in the public limelight, it is projected that more will become victims of fake news.

Gender innovation can be defined as innovations specifically targeted at addressing the roots of gender inequality. Gender inequality is a global phenomenon; different methods have been applied to address the diverse forms of gender inequalities in the world over. Decades of implementations have still not seen an end to gender inequalities more so on gender- based violence and sexual reproductive health related concerns. There is need to fast-track gender equality around the world, we need to shift these trajectories, upend existing dynamics, and pursue game changing interventions.

Article 27.4 of the Kenyan constitution states "The state shall not discriminate directly or indirectly against any person on any ground, including race, sex, pregnancy, marital status, health status, ethnic or social origin, colour, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, dress, language or birth." However, the state and the citizens of Kenya have engaged in the systematic discrimination, stigma and violence against LGBTIQ persons in Kenya.

Image credits Every year approximately 3 million girls undergo female genital mutilation globally according to the statistics by the World Health Organization (WHO). What this essentially means is that parents of more than three million girls allow their daughters to undergo female genital mutilation (FGM) in order to conform to social traditions. Individual families who opt not to have their daughters undergo FGM, risk stigmatization and social exclusion, particularly in communities where the practice is rampant. Globally, it is estimated that around 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone some sort of Female Genital Mutilation.

“I have the privilege of enjoying both private and public health insurance popularly known as National Insurance Health Fund (NHIF), majority here may not have similar options”, this was the moderator’s opening statement. But what does this mean for pregnant women and girls in Kenya? 

There are two stories being told about food security. One story says we are food secure and the other says we are not. The stories are being told – and written – by various people with different intentions. There are those who weave dreams, where fiction reigns and happy endings preside. Then there are those who tell it like it is.

This was the question that lingered in everybody’s mind at the recently concluded Gender Forum in Mombasa. The forum was held against the backdrop of a Mombasa court ruling that dismissed arguments that the practice of anal examination is degrading and amounts to torture and-by extension a violation of one’s rights.

During the May 2016 Gender Forum, we discussed what Feminism means for Kenyan women from different perspectives and facets, and a man asked an important question. His question was, with all this feminism and equality things, what would happen when women achieve this? Wouldn’t women seek to harm men?