The suffix “cide” stems from the Latin word “caedere, ” meaning to kill and to strike down. It can be combined with all sorts of prefixes to mean: killing a king, animal, sperm, anything you can imagine. But the term “femicide” has gone into the public eye with the tragic recent news: a woman set on fire by her boyfriend in Kenya. News had quickly reached the international media because the victim was an Olympian, who had competed in the marathon in Paris weeks ago. 

It would be surprising to know that this is the third instance of elite female athletes being killed in Kenya over the past three years. How have such horrible acts become a pattern and how does it reflect gender inequality which has existed for centuries? 

Kenya’s Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Kipchumba Murkomen spoke that the government is guilty, and the community is also guilty. Generations of patriarchy, cultivated by the deep-rooted sexism in Kenya, is seen in multiple aspects. A leading Kenyan political party official in 2020 openly made lewd remarks attacking a woman member of the parliament by saying that she “is not attractive enough to rape.” Over the years, Kenya has been active in promoting the involvement of women in politics. In 2017, six Kenyan women made history by becoming governors and senators—previous positions held by men. These victories were not achieved without gender-based attacks and stereotyping. Linguistic sexism plays a huge role in Kenyan politics, most often with men who direct remarks to women. Women who ran in political campaigns were always associated with their husbands; one elected female governor in 2017 was called an outsider because her husband was from a different ethnic group. Another female member of parliament who is a single mother was referred to by her opponent as “causing problems” and that young women need to find husbands. The problem with sexist narratives that undermine women’s competence and leadership abilities is already so ordinary in the policial world, one could imagine how common it is in everyday life. The basic lack of respect that ultimately leads to vulgar language and even violence stems from the education that children receive from a young age. 

In Kenya, boys and girls have fairly different upbringings, where they are taught the duties and obligations specific to their gender. Many young girls are pressured into early marriages or childbearing, with little chance to pursue higher education and processional careers. This lack of education not only leaves them vulnerable to exploitation but also restricts their ability to contribute meaningfully to society or advocate for their own rights. While it is perfectly acceptable for women to choose to stay at home and care for their children, they should have the choice to pursue an education and a career if they so choose. The situation in Kenya now strips many young, ambitious women of their opportunities to do so.

A study conducted in 2023 showed that only around 18 percent of women in Kenya have completed secondary education, and almost half of the female youth (18-24) population are illiterate. Rates of education are only slightly higher in urban areas. The lack of education of women makes them especially vulnerable to exploitation of their bodies. As of 2022, teen pregnancy rates have been at 16 percent in rural Kenya. Despite the continual decline of teen pregnancy rates, poverty and education disparities still remain a challenge for attaining gender equality in Kenya. 

Addressing these issues requires a fundamental change of the Kenyan education system to ensure that it fosters equality from the earliest stages. The existing system reinforces and emphasizes the traditional gender roles and limits opportunities for girls, particularly in rural areas where the access to quality education is limited. By integrating education that encourages the pursuit of non-traditional careers for women, and promoting leadership development for girls, the education system can be transformed into a tool for empowerment. Targeted efforts to improve access to education in rural areas such as building more schools, and providing scholarships are all essential.

When men are taught from a young age to view women as their equal (as they should be), maybe tragedies like what happened to Rebecca Cheptegei wouldn’t be so common.