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[00:00]
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[01:11]
Charmaine Cosia
Welcome to the Inquiry. I'm Charmaine Cosia. Each week, one question, four expert witnesses and an answer. November 2024 Nairobi, Kenya President William Ruto is delivering a State of the Nation address in Parliament. His audience of politicians stamp their feet in approval during parts of his speech.
[01:40]
Narrator/Reporter
Many citizens as well as various organizations representing and championing women's rights and welfare have expressed concern about gender based violence and the increasing cases of killings of female victims by male criminals motivated by primitive expressions of gender based brutality and impunity.
[02:02]
Charmaine Cosia
That type of intentional killing is known as femicide.
[02:07]
Narrator/Reporter
Left unaddressed, these incidents will cause the women of our nation to feel increasingly unsafe, even in their own homes. This is both tragic and unacceptable.
[02:24]
Charmaine Cosia
That was 2024. In May this year the National Police Service said it was handling 125 cases across the country where males have taken female lives. This week we're asking is Kenya serious about ending Femicide Part one? The Journey to Justice.
[02:53]
Shailene Momani
A lot of killings do not just begin with murder. First they begin with control. So the entitlement, the humiliation, the abuse and also the belief that women owe men obedience, that whatever I say goes. If you say no and you challenge the they are egos, then they respond with violence.
[03:20]
Charmaine Cosia
Shailene Momani is executive Director at the Young Women's Leadership Institute, a non profit feminist organization based in Kenya's capital city, Nairobi.
[03:32]
Shailene Momani
When the media is reporting, for instance a femicide case, they will share photos of the victim of femicide. Their families are also exposed and so there is no privacy for the loved ones that have remained and most of the families. You find that walking the journey to justice becomes very difficult.
[03:55]
Charmaine Cosia
In Kenya, there isn't a centralized national system for recording all cases of gender based violence, also known as GBV and related deaths.
[04:05]
Shailene Momani
And this obscures the true scale of the crisis. Hiding evidence. And so most of the efforts towards collecting data is mostly left for civil society. And what we've been able to do is collecting stories, posting them online. There is also data on the online platforms that shows that since 2022 to 2025, there has been over 1,600 women that have been killed.
[04:35]
Charmaine Cosia
There's also some information on the men who killed them.
[04:38]
Shailene Momani
70% of these cases are perpetrated at home, in places where women perceive as being safe spaces for them. The main perpetrator are husbands, they are ex husbands, they are boyfriends and intimate partners.
[04:54]
Charmaine Cosia
Generally, women aged between 18 to 35 are most likely to be targeted. But femicide affects all ages.
[05:02]
Shailene Momani
Elderly women are killed because they possess land and their families are targeting them so that they can grab the land. They are termed as witches and the community then mobilizes against them and bans them as punishment. For witches, that's like the most painful death for our grandmothers, women that have gone before us and that have protected us all their lives, and all men can do is decide to grab their land and kill them in the most painful way.
[05:37]
Charmaine Cosia
The Young Women's Leadership Institute is also part of the global end femicide movement. Its members collectively organise to make protecting women a priority for governments.
[05:48]
Shailene Momani
We are very devastated, we are sad, we are broken and we are very angry. We speak with so much anger because we feel like the government continues to put us in the sidelines. It continues to ignore us, it continues to not listen to us even when blood is being shed. We are moving forward and marching forward as angry women of this country. I feel like we are left with no choice, honestly. But also we have to recognize that these efforts have led to fruition of some of the things that we see currently. The very first March happened in 2018, and we've walked that journey from people calling the murder of women homicide to now femicide being recognized countrywide and also being even recognized by government.
[06:45]
Charmaine Cosia
There was an even bigger breakthrough after a massive march in 2024.
[06:49]
Shailene Momani
It led to the development of the Gender Technical Working Group in charge of gender based violence and femic. And last year they held sessions where women, girls and communities took part in a public participation. And from that public participation, a report was developed and was handed over to the office of the President.
[07:15]
Charmaine Cosia
And the chair of that working group is Our next Expert Witness. Part 2 A Presidential Promise the Task
[07:27]
Dr. Nancy Barraza
Force was established to look into the escalating cases of gbv, including femicide. And at that time, so many women were being killed on a daily basis.
[07:45]
Charmaine Cosia
Dr. Nancy Barraza is a Senior Law Lecturer at the University of of Nairobi. She's also a former Deputy Chief justice of the Republic of Kenya. In January 2025, President Ruto appointed her to lead the task force.
[08:01]
Dr. Nancy Barraza
It was established out of pressure by women, by civil society demonstrating in the streets because of the horrible, horrible killings that the country was with witnessing at that time.
[08:18]
Charmaine Cosia
Community groups and non profit organizations shared their expertise and ideas. The Task Force also travelled around the country to take in public views of femicide.
[08:31]
Dr. Nancy Barraza
The government mobilized the entire Interior Administration to ensure that our work was done without problems. And the ordinary Kenyans came out. They participated. In fact, I was so touched, most of the forum we went to, women were breaking down and crying. And one reason they were doing that was nobody has ever given them a platform at which they can ventilate the problems that they go through. What I saw was support from both women and men. Everybody just seemed to say they are tired of this thing, they are sick of this thing and it has to be dealt with. And I'm sure if we implement the strategies, there is all round support for curbing gbv, including femicide in this country.
[09:32]
Charmaine Cosia
Just like many other countries, femicide isn't recognized as a separate offence in Kenya, so. So cases where a man kills a woman because of her gender are prosecuted under broader homicide or gender based violence laws.
[09:46]
Dr. Nancy Barraza
There is a problem because femicide is not just a single act of killing. There are so many underpinning dynamics that make it different from ordinary killing of a woman, for example. It is underpinned by societal norms, by patriarchy, by misogyny, by power imbalances between the genders or among the genders in this country. At least that is what we found in our study before we did the report.
[10:21]
Charmaine Cosia
In January this year, the Technical Working Group on Gender Based Violence, including Femicide, released its report. One of its recommendations is the legal recognition of femicide as a standalone crime.
[10:33]
Dr. Nancy Barraza
If we do not identify it and call it by its name, then we shall never get to know the motives. And once we know the motives, then the strategies that the country puts in place to address the killings will shift to reflect those motives. Right now we do not have sufficient preventive strategies to protect such women from that violence arising out of misogyny, violence resulting out of domestic violence which is very, very rife. And in fact the domestic area is the epicenter of femicide in this country. So if we recognize it as such, then preventive measures including law will go a long way in protecting the women.
[11:29]
Charmaine Cosia
Other recommendations COVID support for survivors, fast tracking current cases, more police training, funding for public awareness campaigns and other legal reforms, including around sentencing. At the end of June 2026 cabinet ministers endorsed the report. Recommendations needing new or amended laws have to go through Parliament. And to what extent do you feel that the Kenyan government, the President is actually committed to tackling driving down rates of femicide?
[12:09]
Dr. Nancy Barraza
I think he's committed. That is his word to us. He appointed the task force and committed resources to it and enabled it through the Ministry of Interior to go around the country mobilizing people around the issue for them to give us their views on how we can address it. What we got from him as the task force was his pledge that he's going to implement. So as we speak now, I have no reason to to doubt the President.
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[14:29]
Charmaine Cosia
You're listening to the inquiry from the BBC World Service. Before we find out where in the world has the most femicide laws and the most cases, just A reminder that to discover our past episodes like Are Africa's Leaders Too Old to Govern the Young? Search the Inquiry feed wherever you get your podcasts and tap. Subscribe for updates. Thank you. Time for our next Expert Witness part three international incidents.
[14:57]
Consuela Corradi
Every year, 85,000 women and girls are killed intentionally in the world. That is 232 every day. And a share of 60% approximately are killed by intimate partners or family members.
[15:21]
Charmaine Cosia
Consuela Corradi is a professor of sociology at Lumsa University in Rome, Italy. She also authored a report for the European Parents Parliament on global femicide courses and trends.
[15:35]
Consuela Corradi
If we go back to 2024 and 2021 and we compare these data across the last years, we can see that we can have slight variations of minus or plus 2% on those figures. And I think the variations make sense because femicide may vary for a number of reasons, including success in prevention policies. The most accurate data on femicide are issued by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes. They run a report every 12 years, approximately. We need to remember that watertight figures on femicide are very difficult to find. First, many countries don't even have a word for this phenomenon. Second, there is no global consensus on legal definitions. So calculations on a global basis are very, very difficult. So this is why I think that the UNODC figures are very reliable, but they are also underestimated and we should look at other sources as well.
[16:57]
Charmaine Cosia
Where in the world is femicide more prevalent?
[17:01]
Consuela Corradi
From what we know, it's more prevalent in Latin America, in the European continent, in the Russian Federation, in Latvia, and in countries of Africa such as South Africa. South Africa, for instance.
[17:18]
Charmaine Cosia
And is it known why those areas are more dominant?
[17:21]
Consuela Corradi
Well, one of the reasons could be that there is a lot of awareness and so the data collected, it's more reliable. There are countries where there are no information at all. Should we take those countries as zero femicide? No. Okay. But that's not the only answer. Women are much more vulnerable in those countries to violence, to domestic violence. There are countries where there is complicity by the police, where there is corruption generally. So the social and cultural context of femicide does vary a lot. But there is a core characteristic, and that is that femicide. It's really the killing of women on grounds of hatred, discrimination, control, possession, domination.
[18:21]
Charmaine Cosia
In November 2025, Italy's parliament voted to make femicide a crime with a life sentence punishment. 29 other countries have laws recognising femicide as a standalone offence or as a specific type of homicide.
[18:36]
Consuela Corradi
Most of these countries are in Latin America. We find 18 to 20 countries and the first to approve a special panel legislation were Costa Rica, Mexico and Guatemala in 2007. And outside Latin America we find in the European continent, Italy, Croatia, Moldavia and Belgium and a few more. So it's a very small amount actually.
[19:13]
Charmaine Cosia
So Latin American countries have the highest number of femicide laws and femicides.
[19:19]
Consuela Corradi
So the laws are passed in countries where women's movements or feminist movements are successful in lobbying the parliaments. But sometimes the parliament stopped there. What Latin America tells us is the activism, positive activisms, against the phenomenon. I don't want to overlook the importance of the legal world that can regulate femicide, but it's not enough. It's necessary but insufficient time to return
[19:58]
Charmaine Cosia
to Kenya and our final expert witness. Part four from denial to recognition
[20:11]
Antonia Sodanon
My assessment is that the Kenyan government is clearly prioritizing femicide more visibly than before. It is true that the political will is there, but the response is rather slow.
[20:24]
Charmaine Cosia
Antonia Sodanon is the country representative in Kenya for UN Women, a United nations agency promoting the empowerment and rights of girls and women. The extensive gender based violence and femicide report was commissioned by President Ruto, then endorsed by his cabinet.
[20:42]
Antonia Sodanon
Major gap remain. But the fact that Kenya has moved from denial to recognition, it's something that should be applauded. It is the beginning of addressing the ramping of femicide.
[20:55]
Charmaine Cosia
And what about the cause of all of this, the men who kill women? Are there any potential prevention strategies that might be effective in some of those cases?
[21:05]
Antonia Sodanon
As UN women we have been very much involved, working closely with women movement governments at local level, community level, in a program reaching out to male. A male engagement strategy has been formulated. And we do see that at the community level we have champions that indeed are, are denouncing and fighting against this crime. What we are also noticing is that these males, champion at the community level, are themselves facing pushback from other men. And this is linked to the fact that Kenya is a very patriarchal society and harmful social norms are strongly anchored in the community. And we are talking of changes in perceptions of the role of male and female women in the society. But we are seeing more and more men also denouncing the crime, gender based violence and femicide and positioning themselves against those crimes.
[22:05]
Charmaine Cosia
The wider effect of controlling behaviour can derail efforts to find safe spaces or witnesses.
[22:11]
Antonia Sodanon
One of the challenges that we do have in Kenya, and this is linked to the patriarchal society and the domination not only at the community level, but at the household level, is that even women that could help are intimidated. And unfortunately, these are the women that should be coming forward and supporting victim of gender based violence and femicide. Denouncing the crime and out of court settlements can silence survivors and dissuade victims from seeking justice because the pressure from the community is so strong. So there has been a lot of effort to go towards those women from national NGOs and civil society to educate women, to show to them that they are not alone in this. But there is also a lot of courage coming from these women. But this is not everywhere. There's still a lot of work to be done.
[23:04]
Charmaine Cosia
The work to put some or all of the gender based violence and femicide report recommendations into practice require a lot of resources, both human and financial.
[23:15]
Antonia Sodanon
This is a really exhaustive report with clear recommendations. And the challenge now is for government and this is where we need to hold them accountable, is to implement the recommendations. So it has taken a year, but from my understanding, there is a discussion within government and commitment by the President himself to provide funding for a comprehensive program and bringing all ministries together to ensure that there is a holistic response to the recommendations.
[23:48]
Charmaine Cosia
So government departments like Health, Education and Justice would share responsibility for implementation instead of one department being in charge.
[23:57]
Antonia Sodanon
We still have serious institutional gaps when it comes to survivor protection case tracking. There's a lot of pressure at the community level. Witness protection would be key. But I do believe that if we do have this holistic program in place that look into prevention, response and bringing relief to survival of gender based violence and this program is budgeted, we should be in a position to make some progress.
[24:30]
Charmaine Cosia
So returning to our main. Is Kenya serious about ending femicide? The Presidential Task force engaged public and professional voices as part of a detailed nationwide investigation into gender based violence and femicide. The extent of that commitment rests on what new policies are delivered and when. As for wider Kenyan society, confronting ingrained attitudes and expectations that protect and empower the men who target women and girls will never be easy. But it's crucial here because it might be the difference between life or death. Last word to our expert witness, Shailene Mumani.
[25:09]
Shailene Momani
Ending femicide is possible because civil society is already doing its work. We are already educating the public. We are creating awareness. The state needs to do something, they need to act. The justice system needs to do justice to the women of Kenya.
[25:31]
Charmaine Cosia
Thank you for joining us on the inquiry from the BBC World Service to find past episodes like Is turkey getting more dangerous for women? Or is trouble brewing for the worldwide tea industry? Search the Inquiry podcast feed wherever you get yours and subscribe for updates. This episode of the Inquiry was written and presented by me, Charming Cosier. The producer was Jill Collins, researcher Evie Yabsley, editor Tom Bigwood and technical producer Toby James A Moment in time Captured by what they Heard I heard some
[26:09]
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people making phone calls.
[26:10]
Charmaine Cosia
Okay, which Runway would you like at Teterboro? We're gonna be in the what they
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saw I put my head down. I saw the movie of my life started going through my head.
[26:17]
Charmaine Cosia
What they smelt. I still remember the smell of the
[26:20]
Consuela Corradi
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[26:24]
Charmaine Cosia
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[26:28]
Narrator/Reporter
Scientists have made the atomic bomb that
[26:31]
Antonia Sodanon
sort of flash set on fire the
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Charmaine Cosia
birds and they all fell down without
[26:34]
Antonia Sodanon
their feathers on the way was clear
[26:37]
Narrator/Reporter
for Hitler to realize all his demonic plans.
[26:42]
Charmaine Cosia
Stories from people with firsthand accounts of events that have shaped our world.
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At the end, Kissinger called me into his office and he said, you did a good job. I left the office with tears in my eyes.
[26:56]
Antonia Sodanon
She called me and told me I'm doing Studio 54.
[27:00]
Consuela Corradi
She had already become a star in Paris.
[27:03]
Antonia Sodanon
She came back a superstar.
[27:06]
Charmaine Cosia
Listen now. Search for witness history wherever you get your BBC Podcasts
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Summary5 min read

Podcast Summary: The Inquiry — Is Kenya Serious About Ending Femicide?

BBC World Service | Hosted by Charmaine Cosia | July 7, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode examines the urgent and disturbing rise of femicide in Kenya, defined as the intentional killing of women because of their gender. By bringing together voices from advocacy, government, international research, and the UN, the discussion explores whether Kenya is truly committed to ending femicide. The episode uncovers how data gaps, legal frameworks, cultural norms, and political will intersect, and what steps are needed for real change.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Understanding Femicide in Kenya (01:11–02:52)

Femicide identified as an increasing issue, with 125 cases handled by police in May 2026 alone.
Explained by Shailene Momani (Executive Director, Young Women’s Leadership Institute) as often rooted in control, entitlement, humiliation, and misogynistic beliefs.

Quote Highlight

“A lot of killings do not just begin with murder. First they begin with control... the belief that women owe men obedience... they respond with violence.”
—Shailene Momani (02:52)

2. Barriers to Justice and Data Challenges (03:19–05:47)

Lack of a centralized reporting system for gender-based violence and femicide complicates understanding the true scale.
Civil society and activists fill the data gaps, reporting over 1,600 women killed between 2022–2025, predominately by men known to them.

Quotes & Insights

"70% of these cases are perpetrated at home... The main perpetrators are husbands, ex-husbands, boyfriends and intimate partners.”
—Shailene Momani (04:37)
Elderly women are vulnerable, often killed over property or due to accusations of witchcraft.

3. Civil Society Progress and Government Response (05:36–07:15)

Activism, including marches and public outcry, has pressured government action.
2018: First major march recognizing femicide as distinct from homicide.
2024: Establishment of the Gender Technical Working Group to address violence.

Memorable Moment

“We speak with so much anger because we feel like the government continues to put us on the sidelines... even when blood is being shed.”
—Shailene Momani (05:47)

4. Government Task Force & Legal Recommendations (07:27–12:56)

Dr. Nancy Barraza (Chair, Gender Technical Working Group; Former Deputy Chief Justice) describes the government’s response as a reaction to pressure from women’s groups.
Widespread public participation in the government’s review, with men and women expressing exhaustion and urgency.

Legal Challenges & Recommendations

Currently, femicide is not a standalone crime in Kenya; classified under general homicide/gender-based violence.
Task force report (January 2026) recommends legal recognition of femicide, improved prevention strategies, survivor support, police training, public awareness, and sentencing reforms.

Quote Highlight

“If we do not identify it and call it by its name, then we shall never get to know the motives... the strategies... will shift to reflect those motives.”
—Dr. Nancy Barraza (10:33)

President Ruto described as having pledged genuine commitment, commissioning the task force and supporting resource allocation.

5. International Context: Laws and Prevalence (14:57–19:58)

Prof. Consuela Corradi (Lumsa University, Italy) details that 85,000 women and girls are killed intentionally worldwide each year; 60% by partners or family.
- Data collection inconsistent: “Many countries don't even have a word for this phenomenon.”
- Prevalent in Latin America, parts of Europe, South Africa—sometimes reflecting greater awareness and reporting rather than exclusively higher rates.

Femicide Laws Worldwide

29 countries recognize femicide in law, most in Latin America, first adopted in Costa Rica, Mexico, Guatemala (2007).
Italy, Croatia, Moldavia, Belgium among European adopters.
Legal measures deemed necessary but not sufficient; activism crucial.

Quote Highlight

“The laws are passed in countries where women's movements... are successful in lobbying the parliament. But sometimes parliament stops there.”
—Consuela Corradi (19:19)

6. UN Perspective: Progress & Remaining Gaps in Kenya (20:10–24:29)

Antonia Sodanon (Country Representative, UN Women Kenya): Progress visible, but government response is slow and implementation remains a major challenge.
Acknowledges shift from denial to recognition as significant: “It is the beginning of addressing the rampant femicide.”

Challenges & Prevention

Strong patriarchal norms intimidate potential witnesses and female supporters.
Male engagement strategies emerging, but male allies at community level face opposition.
Out-of-court settlements and community pressure can silence victims.

Implementation Gaps

Calls for a holistic, cross-ministerial response and dedicated funding.
Survivor protection, case tracking, and witness protection identified as institutional weaknesses.

Quote Highlight

“The challenge now is for government... to implement the recommendations. So it has taken a year, but... there is a commitment by the President himself to provide funding for a comprehensive program.”
—Antonia Sodanon (23:14)

7. Conclusion & Advocacy (24:29–25:31)

Charmaine Cosia summarizes: Kenya’s seriousness will be proved not by words or reports, but by policy implementation and societal transformation.
Final call from civil society for action and justice.

Powerful Closing Quote

“Ending femicide is possible because civil society is already doing its work... The state needs to do something, they need to act. The justice system needs to do justice to the women of Kenya.”
—Shailene Momani (25:08)

Important Timestamps

01:11 — Introduction and context: President Ruto addresses Parliament on femicide
02:52 — Shailene Momani explains roots of femicide in control/entitlement
05:02 — Vulnerability of older women/witchcraft killings
06:44 — Impact of activism/marches on policy
08:30 — Task Force public forums and findings
10:21 — Legal recommendations: Femicide as a standalone crime
12:08 — Assessment of government commitment
14:57 — International statistics on femicide (Corradi)
18:20 — Overview of countries with femicide laws
19:19 — Activism vs. legal progress
20:10 — UN Women on progress and gaps in Kenya
22:10 — Out-of-court settlements/silencing victims
23:57 — The need for institutional reform and budgeted programs
25:08 — Closing call for justice and government action

Episode Tone & Language

The conversation is urgent, clear, and advocacy-driven, blending heartbreak with determined calls for structural reform.
Panelists speak with a blend of lived experience, professional expertise, and activism, affirming the complexity and importance of both legal and cultural progress.

This episode provides a nuanced, evidence-backed exploration of femicide in Kenya, highlighting that genuine change requires both new laws and deep-rooted social transformation. For those seeking a comprehensive understanding of Kenya’s femicide crisis—and the global picture—this episode is an invaluable resource.

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Transcript81 lines

[00:00]
BBC Podcast Announcer
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Learn more@odoo.com Decisions made in Washington can affect your portfolio every day. But what policy changes should investors be watching? Listen to Washington Wise, an original podcast for investors from Charles Schwab to hear the stories making news Washington Right Now. Host Mike Townsend, Charles Schwab's Managing Director for Legislative and Regulatory affairs, takes a non partisan look at the stories that matter most to investors, including policy initiatives for retirement savings, taxes and trade, inflation concerns, the Federal Reserve and how regulatory developments can affect companies, sectors and even the entire market. Mike and his guests offer their perspective on how policy changes could affect what you do with your portfolio. Download the latest episode and follow@schwab.com WashingtonWise or wherever you listen.
[01:11]
Charmaine Cosia
Welcome to the Inquiry. I'm Charmaine Cosia. Each week, one question, four expert witnesses and an answer. November 2024 Nairobi, Kenya President William Ruto is delivering a State of the Nation address in Parliament. His audience of politicians stamp their feet in approval during parts of his speech.
[01:40]
Narrator/Reporter
Many citizens as well as various organizations representing and championing women's rights and welfare have expressed concern about gender based violence and the increasing cases of killings of female victims by male criminals motivated by primitive expressions of gender based brutality and impunity.
[02:02]
Charmaine Cosia
That type of intentional killing is known as femicide.
[02:07]
Narrator/Reporter
Left unaddressed, these incidents will cause the women of our nation to feel increasingly unsafe, even in their own homes. This is both tragic and unacceptable.
[02:24]
Charmaine Cosia
That was 2024. In May this year the National Police Service said it was handling 125 cases across the country where males have taken female lives. This week we're asking is Kenya serious about ending Femicide Part one? The Journey to Justice.
[02:53]
Shailene Momani
A lot of killings do not just begin with murder. First they begin with control. So the entitlement, the humiliation, the abuse and also the belief that women owe men obedience, that whatever I say goes. If you say no and you challenge the they are egos, then they respond with violence.
[03:20]
Charmaine Cosia
Shailene Momani is executive Director at the Young Women's Leadership Institute, a non profit feminist organization based in Kenya's capital city, Nairobi.
[03:32]
Shailene Momani
When the media is reporting, for instance a femicide case, they will share photos of the victim of femicide. Their families are also exposed and so there is no privacy for the loved ones that have remained and most of the families. You find that walking the journey to justice becomes very difficult.
[03:55]
Charmaine Cosia
In Kenya, there isn't a centralized national system for recording all cases of gender based violence, also known as GBV and related deaths.
[04:05]
Shailene Momani
And this obscures the true scale of the crisis. Hiding evidence. And so most of the efforts towards collecting data is mostly left for civil society. And what we've been able to do is collecting stories, posting them online. There is also data on the online platforms that shows that since 2022 to 2025, there has been over 1,600 women that have been killed.
[04:35]
Charmaine Cosia
There's also some information on the men who killed them.
[04:38]
Shailene Momani
70% of these cases are perpetrated at home, in places where women perceive as being safe spaces for them. The main perpetrator are husbands, they are ex husbands, they are boyfriends and intimate partners.
[04:54]
Charmaine Cosia
Generally, women aged between 18 to 35 are most likely to be targeted. But femicide affects all ages.
[05:02]
Shailene Momani
Elderly women are killed because they possess land and their families are targeting them so that they can grab the land. They are termed as witches and the community then mobilizes against them and bans them as punishment. For witches, that's like the most painful death for our grandmothers, women that have gone before us and that have protected us all their lives, and all men can do is decide to grab their land and kill them in the most painful way.
[05:37]
Charmaine Cosia
The Young Women's Leadership Institute is also part of the global end femicide movement. Its members collectively organise to make protecting women a priority for governments.
[05:48]
Shailene Momani
We are very devastated, we are sad, we are broken and we are very angry. We speak with so much anger because we feel like the government continues to put us in the sidelines. It continues to ignore us, it continues to not listen to us even when blood is being shed. We are moving forward and marching forward as angry women of this country. I feel like we are left with no choice, honestly. But also we have to recognize that these efforts have led to fruition of some of the things that we see currently. The very first March happened in 2018, and we've walked that journey from people calling the murder of women homicide to now femicide being recognized countrywide and also being even recognized by government.
[06:45]
Charmaine Cosia
There was an even bigger breakthrough after a massive march in 2024.
[06:49]
Shailene Momani
It led to the development of the Gender Technical Working Group in charge of gender based violence and femic. And last year they held sessions where women, girls and communities took part in a public participation. And from that public participation, a report was developed and was handed over to the office of the President.
[07:15]
Charmaine Cosia
And the chair of that working group is Our next Expert Witness. Part 2 A Presidential Promise the Task
[07:27]
Dr. Nancy Barraza
Force was established to look into the escalating cases of gbv, including femicide. And at that time, so many women were being killed on a daily basis.
[07:45]
Charmaine Cosia
Dr. Nancy Barraza is a Senior Law Lecturer at the University of of Nairobi. She's also a former Deputy Chief justice of the Republic of Kenya. In January 2025, President Ruto appointed her to lead the task force.
[08:01]
Dr. Nancy Barraza
It was established out of pressure by women, by civil society demonstrating in the streets because of the horrible, horrible killings that the country was with witnessing at that time.
[08:18]
Charmaine Cosia
Community groups and non profit organizations shared their expertise and ideas. The Task Force also travelled around the country to take in public views of femicide.
[08:31]
Dr. Nancy Barraza
The government mobilized the entire Interior Administration to ensure that our work was done without problems. And the ordinary Kenyans came out. They participated. In fact, I was so touched, most of the forum we went to, women were breaking down and crying. And one reason they were doing that was nobody has ever given them a platform at which they can ventilate the problems that they go through. What I saw was support from both women and men. Everybody just seemed to say they are tired of this thing, they are sick of this thing and it has to be dealt with. And I'm sure if we implement the strategies, there is all round support for curbing gbv, including femicide in this country.
[09:32]
Charmaine Cosia
Just like many other countries, femicide isn't recognized as a separate offence in Kenya, so. So cases where a man kills a woman because of her gender are prosecuted under broader homicide or gender based violence laws.
[09:46]
Dr. Nancy Barraza
There is a problem because femicide is not just a single act of killing. There are so many underpinning dynamics that make it different from ordinary killing of a woman, for example. It is underpinned by societal norms, by patriarchy, by misogyny, by power imbalances between the genders or among the genders in this country. At least that is what we found in our study before we did the report.
[10:21]
Charmaine Cosia
In January this year, the Technical Working Group on Gender Based Violence, including Femicide, released its report. One of its recommendations is the legal recognition of femicide as a standalone crime.
[10:33]
Dr. Nancy Barraza
If we do not identify it and call it by its name, then we shall never get to know the motives. And once we know the motives, then the strategies that the country puts in place to address the killings will shift to reflect those motives. Right now we do not have sufficient preventive strategies to protect such women from that violence arising out of misogyny, violence resulting out of domestic violence which is very, very rife. And in fact the domestic area is the epicenter of femicide in this country. So if we recognize it as such, then preventive measures including law will go a long way in protecting the women.
[11:29]
Charmaine Cosia
Other recommendations COVID support for survivors, fast tracking current cases, more police training, funding for public awareness campaigns and other legal reforms, including around sentencing. At the end of June 2026 cabinet ministers endorsed the report. Recommendations needing new or amended laws have to go through Parliament. And to what extent do you feel that the Kenyan government, the President is actually committed to tackling driving down rates of femicide?
[12:09]
Dr. Nancy Barraza
I think he's committed. That is his word to us. He appointed the task force and committed resources to it and enabled it through the Ministry of Interior to go around the country mobilizing people around the issue for them to give us their views on how we can address it. What we got from him as the task force was his pledge that he's going to implement. So as we speak now, I have no reason to to doubt the President.
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[14:29]
Charmaine Cosia
You're listening to the inquiry from the BBC World Service. Before we find out where in the world has the most femicide laws and the most cases, just A reminder that to discover our past episodes like Are Africa's Leaders Too Old to Govern the Young? Search the Inquiry feed wherever you get your podcasts and tap. Subscribe for updates. Thank you. Time for our next Expert Witness part three international incidents.
[14:57]
Consuela Corradi
Every year, 85,000 women and girls are killed intentionally in the world. That is 232 every day. And a share of 60% approximately are killed by intimate partners or family members.
[15:21]
Charmaine Cosia
Consuela Corradi is a professor of sociology at Lumsa University in Rome, Italy. She also authored a report for the European Parents Parliament on global femicide courses and trends.
[15:35]
Consuela Corradi
If we go back to 2024 and 2021 and we compare these data across the last years, we can see that we can have slight variations of minus or plus 2% on those figures. And I think the variations make sense because femicide may vary for a number of reasons, including success in prevention policies. The most accurate data on femicide are issued by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes. They run a report every 12 years, approximately. We need to remember that watertight figures on femicide are very difficult to find. First, many countries don't even have a word for this phenomenon. Second, there is no global consensus on legal definitions. So calculations on a global basis are very, very difficult. So this is why I think that the UNODC figures are very reliable, but they are also underestimated and we should look at other sources as well.
[16:57]
Charmaine Cosia
Where in the world is femicide more prevalent?
[17:01]
Consuela Corradi
From what we know, it's more prevalent in Latin America, in the European continent, in the Russian Federation, in Latvia, and in countries of Africa such as South Africa. South Africa, for instance.
[17:18]
Charmaine Cosia
And is it known why those areas are more dominant?
[17:21]
Consuela Corradi
Well, one of the reasons could be that there is a lot of awareness and so the data collected, it's more reliable. There are countries where there are no information at all. Should we take those countries as zero femicide? No. Okay. But that's not the only answer. Women are much more vulnerable in those countries to violence, to domestic violence. There are countries where there is complicity by the police, where there is corruption generally. So the social and cultural context of femicide does vary a lot. But there is a core characteristic, and that is that femicide. It's really the killing of women on grounds of hatred, discrimination, control, possession, domination.
[18:21]
Charmaine Cosia
In November 2025, Italy's parliament voted to make femicide a crime with a life sentence punishment. 29 other countries have laws recognising femicide as a standalone offence or as a specific type of homicide.
[18:36]
Consuela Corradi
Most of these countries are in Latin America. We find 18 to 20 countries and the first to approve a special panel legislation were Costa Rica, Mexico and Guatemala in 2007. And outside Latin America we find in the European continent, Italy, Croatia, Moldavia and Belgium and a few more. So it's a very small amount actually.
[19:13]
Charmaine Cosia
So Latin American countries have the highest number of femicide laws and femicides.
[19:19]
Consuela Corradi
So the laws are passed in countries where women's movements or feminist movements are successful in lobbying the parliaments. But sometimes the parliament stopped there. What Latin America tells us is the activism, positive activisms, against the phenomenon. I don't want to overlook the importance of the legal world that can regulate femicide, but it's not enough. It's necessary but insufficient time to return
[19:58]
Charmaine Cosia
to Kenya and our final expert witness. Part four from denial to recognition
[20:11]
Antonia Sodanon
My assessment is that the Kenyan government is clearly prioritizing femicide more visibly than before. It is true that the political will is there, but the response is rather slow.
[20:24]
Charmaine Cosia
Antonia Sodanon is the country representative in Kenya for UN Women, a United nations agency promoting the empowerment and rights of girls and women. The extensive gender based violence and femicide report was commissioned by President Ruto, then endorsed by his cabinet.
[20:42]
Antonia Sodanon
Major gap remain. But the fact that Kenya has moved from denial to recognition, it's something that should be applauded. It is the beginning of addressing the ramping of femicide.
[20:55]
Charmaine Cosia
And what about the cause of all of this, the men who kill women? Are there any potential prevention strategies that might be effective in some of those cases?
[21:05]
Antonia Sodanon
As UN women we have been very much involved, working closely with women movement governments at local level, community level, in a program reaching out to male. A male engagement strategy has been formulated. And we do see that at the community level we have champions that indeed are, are denouncing and fighting against this crime. What we are also noticing is that these males, champion at the community level, are themselves facing pushback from other men. And this is linked to the fact that Kenya is a very patriarchal society and harmful social norms are strongly anchored in the community. And we are talking of changes in perceptions of the role of male and female women in the society. But we are seeing more and more men also denouncing the crime, gender based violence and femicide and positioning themselves against those crimes.
[22:05]
Charmaine Cosia
The wider effect of controlling behaviour can derail efforts to find safe spaces or witnesses.
[22:11]
Antonia Sodanon
One of the challenges that we do have in Kenya, and this is linked to the patriarchal society and the domination not only at the community level, but at the household level, is that even women that could help are intimidated. And unfortunately, these are the women that should be coming forward and supporting victim of gender based violence and femicide. Denouncing the crime and out of court settlements can silence survivors and dissuade victims from seeking justice because the pressure from the community is so strong. So there has been a lot of effort to go towards those women from national NGOs and civil society to educate women, to show to them that they are not alone in this. But there is also a lot of courage coming from these women. But this is not everywhere. There's still a lot of work to be done.
[23:04]
Charmaine Cosia
The work to put some or all of the gender based violence and femicide report recommendations into practice require a lot of resources, both human and financial.
[23:15]
Antonia Sodanon
This is a really exhaustive report with clear recommendations. And the challenge now is for government and this is where we need to hold them accountable, is to implement the recommendations. So it has taken a year, but from my understanding, there is a discussion within government and commitment by the President himself to provide funding for a comprehensive program and bringing all ministries together to ensure that there is a holistic response to the recommendations.
[23:48]
Charmaine Cosia
So government departments like Health, Education and Justice would share responsibility for implementation instead of one department being in charge.
[23:57]
Antonia Sodanon
We still have serious institutional gaps when it comes to survivor protection case tracking. There's a lot of pressure at the community level. Witness protection would be key. But I do believe that if we do have this holistic program in place that look into prevention, response and bringing relief to survival of gender based violence and this program is budgeted, we should be in a position to make some progress.
[24:30]
Charmaine Cosia
So returning to our main. Is Kenya serious about ending femicide? The Presidential Task force engaged public and professional voices as part of a detailed nationwide investigation into gender based violence and femicide. The extent of that commitment rests on what new policies are delivered and when. As for wider Kenyan society, confronting ingrained attitudes and expectations that protect and empower the men who target women and girls will never be easy. But it's crucial here because it might be the difference between life or death. Last word to our expert witness, Shailene Mumani.
[25:09]
Shailene Momani
Ending femicide is possible because civil society is already doing its work. We are already educating the public. We are creating awareness. The state needs to do something, they need to act. The justice system needs to do justice to the women of Kenya.
[25:31]
Charmaine Cosia
Thank you for joining us on the inquiry from the BBC World Service to find past episodes like Is turkey getting more dangerous for women? Or is trouble brewing for the worldwide tea industry? Search the Inquiry podcast feed wherever you get yours and subscribe for updates. This episode of the Inquiry was written and presented by me, Charming Cosier. The producer was Jill Collins, researcher Evie Yabsley, editor Tom Bigwood and technical producer Toby James A Moment in time Captured by what they Heard I heard some
[26:09]
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people making phone calls.
[26:10]
Charmaine Cosia
Okay, which Runway would you like at Teterboro? We're gonna be in the what they
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saw I put my head down. I saw the movie of my life started going through my head.
[26:17]
Charmaine Cosia
What they smelt. I still remember the smell of the
[26:20]
Consuela Corradi
fresh fish and I completely lost my appetite.
[26:24]
Charmaine Cosia
Moments captured which last for a lifetime
[26:28]
Narrator/Reporter
Scientists have made the atomic bomb that
[26:31]
Antonia Sodanon
sort of flash set on fire the
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Charmaine Cosia
birds and they all fell down without
[26:34]
Antonia Sodanon
their feathers on the way was clear
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Narrator/Reporter
for Hitler to realize all his demonic plans.
[26:42]
Charmaine Cosia
Stories from people with firsthand accounts of events that have shaped our world.
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At the end, Kissinger called me into his office and he said, you did a good job. I left the office with tears in my eyes.
[26:56]
Antonia Sodanon
She called me and told me I'm doing Studio 54.
[27:00]
Consuela Corradi
She had already become a star in Paris.
[27:03]
Antonia Sodanon
She came back a superstar.
[27:06]
Charmaine Cosia
Listen now. Search for witness history wherever you get your BBC Podcasts
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