Margaret, a resident of Bangladesh, Mombasa County is a charming, determined mother of three and an entrepreneur. She holds a bright vision of how her life and that of her kids will eventually turn out to be despite her rocky past.
The peaceful march organised by CREAW and supported by like-minded Women Rights Organisations was a culmination of a continued 16 days of Activism campaign to educate the public on sexual offences and address the state on protection of survivors of sexual violence.
My struggle started when I got married. While my wedding was joyful, my marriage did not experience the joy. My husband was abusive and the trauma broke me making me feel helpless
On 17th May 2022, Hon. Justice Odunga of the Machakos High Court ruled that the mandatory minimum sentences provided by the Sexual Offences Act for sexual offences are unconstitutional and that they limit the discretion of the court to determine the appropriate sentence to impose. Consequently, various courts across Kenya are now faced with an overwhelming number of applications for resentencing by prisoners previously convicted of sexual offences. This precedent claws back on the gains made by women rights movements over the years to ensure that gender-based violence is treated with the urgency and weight it deserves.
We congratulate the newly elected governors for breaking the barriers and shattering the glass ceiling. This is an indication that Kenyans are making a shift from the patriarchal underpinnings that have long undermined prospects of women’s leadership in social, economic and political spaces.
CREAW is proud to be a strategic partner in the SHE SOARS (Sexual and reproductive Health & Economic empowerment Supporting Out of school Adolescent girls’ Rights and Skills) program in Dagoretti North and Westlands subcounty.
Women’s economic rights and opportunities in Bomet as it is in many other counties is undermined by many factors. Social & economic barriers, including retrogressive social and cultural norms, lack of access to capital & credit facilities, and limited economic empowerment programs for women, are some of the vices that discourage women from practicing key entrepreneurial behaviors like competitiveness.
The Centre for Rights, Education and Awareness was on Tuesday, 14 June, recognized by the Gender Is My Agenda Campaign Network with the Civil Society Award at the State House.
We take great exception to the comments made by the Education Cabinet Secretary Prof George Magoha towards a female Muslim journalist on the 26th July 2022. While addressing a press conference, Magoha zeroed in on the female journalist asking, “who are you representing? If you are representing Al Shabaab, I will not answer you.”
MEDIA STATEMENTState Obligation To Protect Rape Survivors – July 2022
For Immediate ReleaseLitigation on Failure of State to Fulfil its Due Diligence Obligation to Investigate Sexual Offences: Unconstitutionality of Out of Court Settlements Initiated by State ActorsNairobi, KenyaYesterday, 5th July 2022, the Centre for Rights Education & Awareness (CREAW) and IW, a rape survivor, appeared before the Constitutional and Human Rights Division of the High Court of Kenya, HCCHR PET E416/2021 – IW & Centre for Rights Education & Awareness (CREAW) vs the Attorney General, Inspector General of Police and others. The complainants seek to hold the state accountable for the failure to fulfil its obligations to investigate, prosecute and punish perpetrators of violence against women. In particular, this case seeks to address a common but understated challenge in the criminal justice system where survivors of sexual violence are not adequately supported by state agents but coerced into entering into settlement agreements with perpetrators. This case seeks to create a wider social impact in the criminal justice system in Kenya where out of court settlements in cases of gender- based violence are rampant. Of specific concern is the role that State actors such as the police play in propagating these out of court settlements which empower perpetrators of violence and leave the victim/survivor grappling with the aftermath of the violence. This creates a culture of rape and impunity in the society. In our submissions, we set out the core components of an effective investigation and standards the role of the police in protecting victims of violence in the criminal justice system. We submitted that the investigation by the police in this case did not meet the threshold for a proper investigation. In response to the Attorney General’s argument that the Inspector General of Police cannot be held liable for the actions of the investigating officer, we argued that the Inspector General of Police can be held accountable for the actions of the police officers who act in their capacity as a police officer and employees of the National Police Service.The judgment will be issued on 17th November 2022 before Hon. Justice Mrima.
The applicants were represented by Winfred Odali who is an alumni of ISLA’s Feminist Litigation Network. The Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa (ISLA) is acting as advisor to counsel. ISLA’s Feminist Litigation Network (FLN) aims to develop a pool of African feminist strategic litigators. ISLA achieves this by investing in partner organisations and a raft of capacity strengthening activities such as the strategic litigation institute. She works as a Strategic Litigation Advocate in CREAW where she is steadily developing a portfolio of cases to hold the state accountable for the failure to protect women from violence, among others. This was her maiden appearance before the Constitutional Division.Join the conversation on social media by following:#EndImpunityforVAW#EndVAW For further enquiries kindly contact:Sibongile NdasheISLA Acting Litigation Director[email protected]
Winfred OdaliCREAW Strategic Litigation Advocate[email protected]
