Kenya urged to make urgent reforms on GBV ahead of International Women's day

The Duchess, who has championed the Women, Peace and Security agenda for years, revealed that her meeting with President William Ruto during her two-day visit in Kenya paved way for safeguarding Kenyan families against gender-based violence.

The Duchess acknowledged that there is distance still to travel between words and implementation however stating that she was "very gratified by his (President Ruto) response, his empathy, and his understanding of the issues." 

"We have to move from intent to action. The narrative has started to shift, and I do feel a change in the air," she added during a meeting on February 25.

She pointed to Kenya's forthcoming third National Action Plan as a promising sign, which will involve highlighting the vital role of Kenyan women in leadership and decision-making, including on regional security and stability, particularly in areas affected by climate change and border instability.

"The word is action. We have to change things from being plans into actions, because we know that if we do, everybody stands to win," she noted.

The Duchess also urged men to be factored in the move to tame GBV, asserting that they are also victims who need to be safeguarded in the society.

"When we speak of gender-based violence, this doesn't just mean women and girls. It means men and boys as well. We must not forget that," she said.

"We need as many men as possible, in the room and in the world, to come with us on this journey, because the world is a better place when we work together. Women's bodies should not be a battleground."

Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs Korir Sing'oei noted that the 2010 constitution had enshrined equality and set minimum thresholds for women's participation in public institutions, yet those thresholds remained unmet. 

"That constitutional aspiration still remains unmet," he acknowledged.

He also pointed to Kenya's active role in regional peacekeeping, noting that Kenyan women were serving in missions in Somalia, Haiti and elsewhere, and that those deployments had deepened the country's understanding of conflict-related gender-based violence. 

"We have brought back home real lessons, real understanding, and real capacities that we can now bring to bear even in our own context," he said.

Sing'oei further relayed a firm pledge to have women participating in the 2027 electoral processes, particularly in party primaries, are protected

He said that mechanisms were being put in place to fund and support women candidates so they could be "equal participants in the forthcoming political contest."

Dr. Edward Barnett, Chargé d'Affaires of the British High Commission, underscored that between 16 and 58 percent of women globally experience technology-facilitated gender-based violence, and that in Kenya the figure rises to more than 60 percent of women in public life. 

"Preventing and responding to technology-facilitated gender-based violence against women in public life is essential to safeguarding democracy itself," he said.

Barnett outlined concrete steps the UK has already taken in partnership with Kenya, including working with the National Police Service on survivor-centred policing, investing in university partnerships to develop tools to combat online harassment, and collaborating with organisations like Kiktonet to better understand the language of online abuse.