On September 24, police in Kigumo, Murang’a County, arrested four suspects in connection with the gruesome murder of a woman whose body was delivered to the station in a bag. The victim, Hanna Wanjiru, was allegedly killed, wrapped in blankets, placed in a bag, and handed to a taxi driver to deliver to Kangari town.
On November 12, a 63-year-old woman, Mary Muyokhwe, was found dead on a footpath near her home in Mundobelwa village, Khwisero, Kakamega County, with stab wounds and bruises.
Shortly after, on November 20, in Migori County, police investigated the murder of 35-year-old Lucy Mogesi Nokwe in her house following a domestic dispute.
This is now the rhythm of our news cycle. Broadcast bulletins rarely air without a fresh Gender Based Violence (GBV) story, and newspapers carry even more. But GBV is not just Kenya’s nightmare. It is everywhere.
GBV, a Global Concern
On November 4, 2025, a video went viral showing a man publicly groping Mexico City’s President, Claudia Sheinbaum, while she greeted supporters. Sheinbaum confirmed the incident and announced she is pressing charges; the man was arrested shortly after.
On November 21, 2025, hundreds of women dressed in black staged a “lie down” protest in Johannesburg, South Africa, to symbolize lives lost to GBV. Following public pressure, the government declared GBV a “national disaster.”
On November 25, 2025, 24 abducted Nigerian schoolgirls were rescued in Kebbi State after a mass abduction. On the same date, Italy’s parliament formally recognised “femicide” as a distinct crime, punishable by life imprisonment, strengthening penalties for femicide, stalking, revenge porn, and related gender-based crimes.
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These stories across continents show one truth: GBV is not a “third-world problem.” It is a global human failure.
The latest UN report shows over 50,000 women and girls were intentionally killed in 2024, with Africa recording 22,600 intimate-partner and family-related murders. These numbers should embarrass us as a species.
And none of this minimises the terror women face daily. Their fear is real, justified, and urgent.
Are Men the Problem?
Online debates have become emotional battlefields. The default argument is: “men are the problem.” It’s easy to make that claim; most attacks against women are committed by men. The statistics point that way too. But here is the uncomfortable truth: not all men are the problem.
Some weeks ago, a photo circulated online of a young Kenyan woman at an anti-GBV march holding a placard reading: “ALL MEN SHOULD DIE.” It went viral alongside hashtags calling for an end to GBV.
Many wondered how a call for men’s extinction reconciles with ending violence. Reducing GBV to “men are the problem” is neat, convenient, and dangerously simplistic.
It flattens billions of individuals with different histories, temperaments, cultures, and moral compasses into a single villainous category.
Yes, the men who commit GBV are vile. But turning one offender’s brutality into a thesis on “men” is not moral clarity; it is wrong. It substitutes thought for slogans and responsibility for comforting outrage.
Disgusting behaviour deserves universal condemnation. But the real problem is not “men.” It is the man who did it, and the myth that collective blame is more virtuous than individual accountability.
Generalising all men shuts down dialogue before it begins. It automatically puts men on the defensive and removes them from the conversation, even though men themselves can also be victims.
In 2023, a Kenyan Police report recorded thousands of men as victims of domestic abuse, though far fewer come forward.
Initiatives like the NCCK male engagement forum in Embu highlight that men, too, can be victims, challenging the stereotype that only men commit GBV.
What We Are Missing
People do not simply wake up and butcher their spouses and children, unless dealing with a deep psychological crisis or extreme emotional collapse. Something breaks long before the violence erupts. We have been discussing symptoms; it’s about time we discussed causes.
Unemployment among men is high, yet expectations remain heavy. When social roles collapse, and responsibilities cannot be met, frustration builds. With no emotional support, no safety nets, and no space to be vulnerable, violence becomes a tragic, warped attempt at power.
Drug and alcohol dependency often rise with economic desperation. Substance abuse lowers inhibitions and increases aggression, yet society treats addiction as a moral failure instead of a public health issue.
Men rarely report abuse. They rarely seek help. Society tells men to “man up,” then wonders why some collapse under unspoken despair. A GBV fight that excludes men is like trying to put out a fire while ignoring the burning house.
As the world observes 16 Days of Activism against GBV, the National Council of Churches of Kenya convened a male engagement forum in Embu County to spotlight rising cases of male GBV.
Also Read: Why Gender-Responsive Tax Policies Are Long Overdue
Stakeholders observed that men often endure abuse in silence due to shame, ridicule, or fear of being perceived as weak.
Beyond physical and emotional trauma, male victims also suffer economic consequences, including job loss and reduced productivity, leaving dependents vulnerable. Addressing GBV requires acknowledging all victims and dismantling cultural misconceptions that men can only be perpetrators.
African Laws and Treaties
Africa has no shortage of legal frameworks. For example, the Maputo Protocol (2003) guarantees women’s rights, including the right to freedom from violence. The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights protects dignity and equality. There is also the Kampala Declaration on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (2011). In Kenya, the Protection Against Domestic Violence Act (2015) exists; in South Africa, the Domestic Violence Amendment Act (2021); and in Nigeria, the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act (2015).
But laws without implementation are decoration. Enforcement without prevention is wasted effort.
Way forward
One, include men in the dialogue. A fight that excludes half the population cannot succeed.
Two, empower men as we empower women. Boy-child neglect has created generations of disoriented men. Disempowered men encountering empowered women may resort to violence to reclaim a lost sense of purpose.
Three, address root causes, economic despair, mental health, substance dependency, not just the aftermath.
Four: stop slogans that indict entire genders. Aim anger where it belongs, at the offender, not the category.
Lastly, embrace and scale up initiatives like the NCCK-led male engagement dialogues, such as the recent forum in Embu County.
These forums prove that bringing men into the conversation is not only possible but also essential for holistic prevention, reporting, and redress of GBV.
If we truly want to end this crisis, we must stop shouting at shadows and start confronting the real monsters among us, individually, not collectively.
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