IPPF Africa Region Calls for Urgent Action Against Rising Femicide in Africa

By: IPPF Africa Region

Nairobi, 11 September 2024 – The International Planned Parenthood Federation Africa Region (IPPFAR) notes with grave concern the alarming rise of femicide across Africa, underscored by the recent murder of Ugandan Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei by her former partner. This tragic killing is a stark reminder of the growing epidemic of violence against women on the continent and globally.

Femicide—the gender-based killing of women—is rooted in systemic misogyny and patriarchy. According to UN Women, 89,000 women and girls were murdered globally in 2022, the highest figure recorded in 20 years, however it is likely that these figures are significantly underreported. Furthermore, the African continent has the highest rate of femicide globally. More than half of these women were killed by intimate partners or family members, and this violence continues to thrive under a global culture of impunity.“Violence against women and girls is among the least prosecuted and punished crimes in the world,” noted the UN Assembly (Resolution no. 70/176). This impunity must stop, and Governments must take immediate steps to address the issue.

Marie-Evelyne Petrus-Barry, IPPF Africa Regional Director, states, “Femicide is not just a women’s issue—it is a human rights issue. Governments must invest in women-led strategies that have proven to prevent violence against women and girls and hold perpetrators accountable. The lack of standardized data and consistent reporting across regions only perpetuates this crisis. Additionally, marginalized women, such as LGBTIQ+ individuals, women with disabilities, female sex workers, and women living in precarious situations such as refugees and internally displaced women, face a heightened risk of femicide. The lives of women and girls are at stake, and the time for action is now”.

Patriarchy fuels femicide, and when combined with systematic issues such as capitalism, poverty, unemployment, and a lack of support systems geared toward girls and women, results in the marginalization and ongoing violence against women, girls, and gender-diverse individuals.
IPPFAR, through the Feminist Opportunities Now (FON) Project—funded by the French Development Agency and French Ministry of European and Foreign Affairs—provides financial and technical assistance to feminist civil society organizations working to end gender-based violence and achieve gender equality. Collaborating with women’s rights organizations like Feminists in Kenya, The Wangu Kanja Foundation, Smart Ladies Youth Initiative, FON and IPPFAR are committed to dismantling discriminatory gender norms, engaging men and boys in the fight against patriarchy, and advocating for systemic change.

Tatiana Gicheru from Feminists in Kenya, an organisation supported by the FON Project, shares her frustration: “Feminists in Kenya recognizes femicide as a violent manifestation of patriarchal power, and we remain dedicated to dismantling structures that enable all forms of violence against women in all their diversities. We urge the Kenyan Government to act decisively on our demands shared during the 2019 and 2024 nationwide anti-femicide marches. Enough is enough!”
IPPF Africa and its partners urge Governments across Africa and the world to act decisively to end femicide.

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For further information or to request an interview, please contact:
-Mahmoud GARGA, Lead Strategic Communication, Voice and Media, IPPF Africa Regional Office (IPPFAR) – email: mgarga@ippf.org / Tel: +254 704 626 920

ABOUT IPPF AFRICA REGION (IPPFAR)

The International Planned Parenthood Federation Africa Region (IPPFAR) is one of the leading sexual and reproductive health (SRH) service delivery organization in Africa, and a leading sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) advocacy voice in the region. Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, the overarching goal of IPPFAR is to increase access to SRHR services to the most vulnerable youth, men and women in sub-Saharan Africa.
Supported by thousands of volunteers, IPPFAR tackles the continent’s growing SRHR challenges through a network of Member Associations (MAs) in 40 countries. We do this by developing our MAs into efficient entities with the capacity to deliver and sustain high quality, youth focused and gender sensitive services. We work with Governments, the African Union, Regional Economic Commissions, the Pan-African Parliament, United Nations bodies among others to expand political and financial commitments to sexual and reproductive health and rights in Africa.
Learn more about us on our website. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

ABOUT FEMINISTS IN KENYA

Feminists in Kenya is a social movement of Feminist and Queer activists committed to achieving gender justice. As organizers of the #TotalShutdownKe march against femicide, they are focused on mobilizing and organizing with women across Kenya to challenge systemic and interpersonal oppression. Founded on Community, Joy and Resistance, their vision is a world where women, in all their diversities, can live free from systemic violence in both public and private spaces.

ABOUT THE FEMINIST OPPORTUNITIES NOW (FON) PROJECT

The objective of the project Feminist Opportunities Now (FON), is to build the capacity of women’s movements, via sub-grants to feminist organisations, with a particular effort to reaching small, even non-registered organisations to address and respond to gender-based violence. The programme is developed based on an ecological model, using multi-disciplinary gender-transformative approaches. In addition to direct and flexible sub-granting (for € 7 million), FON also provides a unique opportunity for longer-term mentorship to support feminist organisations in their overall development, with trainings specifically tailored to their needs. FON also supports feminist organisations to identify other/diverse sources of funding and includes a research-action component to understand how these approaches can be scaled-up and made sustainable.
Website: Feminist Opportunities Now