The government has named marathon legend Catherine Ndereba and football star Essie Akida to a 12-member advisory committee focused on creating policies to combat gender-based violence (GBV) in sports and the country.
The newly established task force, formalized through a Gazette Notice issued on Friday, November 22, 2024, aims to address the rising cases of femicide in the sports sector, with a particular emphasis on protecting women athletes.
The committee will be chaired by Sports Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and Principal Secretary Peter Tum. Other notable members include academic Paul Ochieng, Barbara Malowa, Catherine Njeri Maina, Lorna Tanui, Fardhosa Hassan Boru, and Patricia Arisi. Diana Watila will lead the Secretariat.
Photo/ Kenyans
The primary mandate of the committee is to implement recommendations from the January 2022 report on Gender Welfare and Equity in Sports and to develop effective GBV policies for sports organizations.
Additionally, it will conduct gender analyses and audits to assess how institutions are handling gender-related issues.
To foster inclusivity and safety, the committee will promote gender mainstreaming, advocate for a safe environment for female athletes, and implement protective policies against violence and exploitation.
It also plans to conduct workshops and training sessions to raise awareness among athletes and sports personnel about unconscious bias and gender-related challenges.
The committee’s work will span three years, with the possibility of an extension. During this period, it will monitor progress on gender initiatives, evaluate their effectiveness, and provide reports on gender equality in sports. The ultimate goal is to create lasting change by addressing GBV and fostering a culture of respect and equality in the sports sector.
This initiative comes in response to a series of tragedies that have shaken the sports community. Among them were the deaths of Olympic medalist Agnes Tirop and distance runner Damaris Mutua, both victims of domestic violence.
In a similarly horrifying case in September, Ugandan athlete Rebecca Cheptegei was doused in petrol and set ablaze by her ex-boyfriend, marking the third such incident involving female athletes in Kenya in just three years.
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UAF
The killings have highlighted the urgent need to address violence against female athletes, coinciding with reports indicating that at least 97 women have died at the hands of intimate partners this year alone.
A 2018 World Health Organization report showed that 38 percent of women aged 15 to 49 had experienced intimate partner violence. In 2021, then-President Uhuru Kenyatta declared GBV a national crisis. Despite ongoing efforts, a 2023 survey by Africa Data Hub recorded over 500 cases of women killed in Kenya, with 75 percent of these murders perpetrated by someone known to the victim.
