AWLN Urge the Government To Take Action on Cyber Bullies

By Njeri Irungu

The women of Kenya under the umbrella of the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN); Women Mediators Network (WMN) – Kenya; Democracy Trust Fund (DTF) and Echo Network Africa (ENA) have observed an increase in incidences of cyber bullying especially directed at women leaders in our Country.

The women network observed that the incidences include cartoons, memes, and other forms of gender-based violence against women.

including those sexual in nature. They are greatly concerned about the bullying of women leaders from Nakuru County where more than Seven women were elected to various positions in the just concluded General Election.

They said that the cyber bullies have turned their guns on the Chief Justice of Kenya, Hon. Martha Koome. Following the unanimous decision and pronouncement on 5th September 2022 by the Supreme Court in respect to the Presidential petition in which the Apex Court upheld the IEBC decision and pronounced H.E. Dr William Ruto as the winner following the 2022 General Election

“We cite the two cases, but there are many many more, to demonstrate that none of us is safe until all girls and women are free from all forms of violations, including cyberbullying. If a women leader of the stature of the Chief Justice can be a target, what about the average girl and women, that being our mothers, wives, daughters, sisters, neighbours? We are aware that such campaigns are intended to silence and intimidate our women leaders. Unfortunately, this will not happen. Kenyan women have come too far to be intimidated. We urge all our women and men to stand against this menace and hate speech.”said Echo Network Chairperspn, Dr. Jeniffer Riria.

They asked all Kenyans of goodwill and institutions charged with the responsibility of maintaining national cohesion to condemn such incidences whenever they arise. Bullying and sexual gender based violence, they said, should never be allowed to thrive in civilized societies.

They called upon law enforcement officers to move speedily and arrest perpetrators of these digital crimes and to charge them according to the law. Nothing that the country is well equipped with the digital capacities required to get to the bottom of the matter.

AWLN Kenya looks forward to partnering with the new administration under H.E Dr. William Ruto to eradicate Gender Based Violence in our country and to restore the dignity of all Kenyans including girls and women.