Gender Based Violence (GBV) and Femicide in Kenya: A Dialectical Dissection

Gender based violence (GBV) and femicide cases in Kenya have been on the rise lately and the statistics are alarming. ‘Policies’ are being put in place to curb the statistical spike. GBV has always been around, what is intriguing is the sense of ‘alarm’ that accompanies it these days. One of the reason these cases are becoming more disquieting and, as a result, sensationalized in the media, is because they are happening among a demographic that is educated. A demographic which, for all intents and purposes, is seen as ‘enlightened’, liberal and progressive. When you hear these stories you’ll always catch a reference to the education level of the perpetrator or victim such as “he was a doctor” or “she was a university student”. It is taken for granted that violence is beneath an educated person. The question then arises why such persons are increasingly solving their romantic and marital problems via violence? The following is a dialectical analysis of why education seems to have the unintended results by bringing out modes of behavior it is supposed to be eradicating. It seeks to analyze how a hybrid of Western and African worldviews might lead to cases of GBV. The essay will focus on three aspects: it will look at the Western ideals of individualism and objectification theory on the one hand, and the African perception (largely drawn from the proverbs and customs of the Kikuyu) of marriage and romantic relationships on the other. It will attempt looking at how the former have amalgamated and distorted the latter, and how this distortion contributes to the frequent occurrence of GBV and femicide. It is a well-known historical fact that when two cultures encounter each other there is bound to be a conflict of values, and that the values of the domineering culture often replace the values of the conquered one. The advent of Europeans in Africa resulted, to a great extent, in the replacement of African values with European values. This was first undertaken by the Christian missionaries and was cemented by colonization. One of the values that was replaced in such manner was communalism. The concept of community has been steadily and gradually replaced by individualism. African cultures emphasized the importance of the community, and the meaning of being for any individual was primarily based on their place within the extended family, the clan and the tribe. Most African cultures have sayings and proverbs that emphasize this aspect of their society. For example the Kikuyu of Kenya have a saying that “Mundu ni andu” which literally means that “a person is people”. Another proverb by the Kikuyu says “Indo ni kurimithanio” which can be translated as “Riches are gained by working together. The proverb emphasizes the value of communal over individual effort. This is a common philosophy among African cultures often referred to as “Ubuntu” which means “I am because we are”. In her seminal book The River and The Source, M. A. Ogola refers to the Dholuo concepts of dak and wat, the former meaning neighborliness and the latter an extensive brotherhood covering a wide area both physically and socially (Ogola). However, Westernization has resulted in the de-emphasis of this value by placing the emphasis on the individual and personal effort. This is seen through the proliferate use of adages such as “Be yourself”, “Follow your passion” and other similar platitudes. Among the Kikuyu this reorientation can be seen through such sayings as “Kirindi kia remire Musa”, that is, “The people were too much for Moses”. There is even a popular Kikuyu song whose refrain is “Tigana na andu”, which means “Do not mind people”. The above examples indicate that over time, the African perspective has been shifting from communalism to individualism. Another aspect of Western culture that has permeated through African values is objectification of women. Objectification refers to the perception of women as sexual objects. In the modern world, women are perceived as a summation of parts rather than as complete human beings. The melodic lyrics of Kleptomaniax “Sura, macho, mbele na nyuma” aptly captures this perception of women. As a result, the value of a woman is to be measured with reference to her beauty and physical attributes, more specifically her face, bosom and buttocks. Why do I refer to objectification as a Western ideal? Kikuyu proverbs once again shed light on their attitude towards beauty. One proverb says “Nyoko nditugaga” which means “Beauty does no good”. Nevertheless, this does not imply that there was no appreciation of beauty. When Akoko, the heroine of The River and the Source, arrives at Sakwa the whole village stands in awe of her good looks. “Her eyes were set far apart and neither too small nor too big, her teeth were white and even with a bewitching gap at the centre of the upper set. Her ears…were perfectly shaped standing just at the right angle from her head. And that neck! It was fit to inspire praise songs from nyatiti players… As for her legs, Were must have carved them out personally rather than one of his apprentices” (Ogola pg. 28). However, it was still understood that “Uthaka nduriagwo” i.e. “Beauty is not eaten”, and Akoko’s self-image is not based on her appearance. Growing up she was taught Chik, tradition, and she understood “…that the way to keep a man was by the work of my hands and the words of my mouth” (Ogola pg. 35). Furthermore, her husband does not value her because she is beautiful but because “…she was unafraid of him, and spoke candidly…rarely failed to make him laugh… [And] her advice on most matters was sound” (Ogola pg. 30). Due to these attributes Owuor Kembo adores his wife so much that he is disinclined to be polygamous despite being a great chief (Ogola). From these examples, one can argue that objectification and the emphasis on beauty is, to some extent, alien to the African perception of women. Individualism and objectification are predominant values among the educated. The primary reason is because education is the means through which most Africans are introduced to the Western worldview and its values. However, once outside of the classroom, people live in an African society, and the educated still uphold some aspects of African culture. However, these aspects are often distorted. The distorted cultural aspect relevant to us in this context is the African perception of marriage and male-female romantic relationships. Most African customs place a great emphasis on bride price whose payment is often accompanied by elaborate ceremonies. Only after the ceremony of paying bride price can a man and a woman be seen as a proper couple. In the original African context, for instance among the Kikuyu, such payment was not a one-time deal but was meant to continue in perpetuity. The main reason for this is because the bride price was seen as compensation to the extended family and community for losing one of their member. Since her value could not be replaced by a deposit of cash and goats, the husband was expected to continue compensating his in-laws with tokens and gifts. Furthermore, the bride price was also meant to bolster the relationship between the two families involved, hence the proverb “Ngari ihitagwo ni mundu na muthoniwe” which translates as “A leopard is hunted together with one’s in-laws”. Ogola also makes a similar remark observing that “a home without daughters can never prosper but is faced with eventual poverty and lack of friendships forged in marriage” (Ogola pg. 13). As such, marriage was seen as two families forming an everlasting bond that would remain intact through thick and thin. However, the western ideals of individualism and objectification have distorted this perception of African customary marriage. Individualism has narrowed the scope of who should be involved in relationships. Today, romantic affairs between lovers are seen as private matters of concern only to the couple. The role of parents, the extended family and clan have been reduced to mere symbolism. Furthermore, objectification has distorted the meaning of paying bride price. The ceremonies are now viewed as a one-time deal, where a man coughs up resources to “buy” a wife. The deep cultural meaning of the event has been eroded and since women are objectified, the man consequently “owns” the woman for whom he has paid bride price. The factors elaborated above play a role in cases of GBV and femicide when conflict arises in a relationship. Firstly, emphasis on individualism has led to the rise of egocentrism. The individual is now seen as the source of moral authority and the adage by Protagoras that “Man is the measure of all things,” has been corrupted to “I am the measure of all things”. When conflict arises, people with such a mindset do not pause to consider the legitimacy of the other side, and adamantly view themselves as being on the right. Under such circumstances, reconciliation becomes more difficult, and coming to blows becomes more probable. Secondly, objectification compounds the problem because the man views the woman as an object that he “owns”. As a result, he is predisposed to be authoritarian and dismiss the concerns of the woman regardless of their validity. In addition, internalized objectification increases the susceptibility to emotional abuse where women are made to view themselves as worthless, instead of as matriarchs, the more they age. Moreover, objectification that is internalized adds weight to the sense of being “owned” by the husband/boyfriend, and explains why many women stay in abusive marriages and relationships until they become fatal regardless of their education level. Gender based violence and femicide continue to plague Kenyan society. The above analysis does not purport to be exhaustive, and more analysis into the underlying factors that lead to GBV and femicide in Kenya is much needed. Nonetheless, the fact that an educated demographic resorts to violence when solving romantic disputes is partly why the cases of GBV and femicide have gained an ironic aspect of “alarm”. An education that lays emphasis on the Western ideals of individualism and objectification has distorted the African perception of marriage and romantic relationships. Individualism has led to the rise of egocentrism, consequently making it difficult for partners to appreciate the views and concerns of each other. Objectification has led to the perception of women as sex objects and has made relationships an unequal partnership where the woman is “owned” by the man. A perception that arises due to the distortion of the African concept of bride price, which instead of being a way of cementing the relationship between two families and communities, is now seen as a man “buying” a woman therefore adding weight to the concept of “ownership”. The amalgamation of two world views has led to the distortion of one by the other and the result is tragic.   References Ogola, Margaraet A. The River and The Source. Nairobi: Focus Publishers Ltd, 2012. Book.