The National Gender and Equity Commission(NGEC) and the Kenya Women Parliamentary Association (KEWOPA) have urged the government to enforce stricter laws that will ensure forced marriages in the country come to an end.
The demand from the two parties comes following the brutal murder of Gaal Adan Abdi, a 17-year-old refugee girl who was forcibly married to a 55-year-old man, subjected to severe abuse, and ultimately killed, with her body burnt beyond recognition.
In different statements released on Thursday, March 27, that NGEC and KEWOPA chairpersons strongly castigated the incident emphasizing that security agencies should investigate the matter and take action on whoever was involved in the incident.
The two organizations further urged the government to offer support in terms of medical, psychological, and legal, to survivors of forced marriages and Gender Based Violence(GBV) in the country.
According to the NGEC chairperson, Rehema Jaldesa, the abuse and murder of the minor not only violated the human and children's rights of the child but also reflected the intensity at which gender-based violence is ballooning in the country.
Jaldesa maintained that the government should ensure that all individuals, including refugees, are well-protected from such atrocities, as mandated by the international human rights and refugee conventions.
"We demand a thorough and swift investigation into Gaala's murder and ensure that those responsible are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law," she said.
"Furthermore, we urge the government to intensify efforts to prevent GBV, including enforcing laws against forced marriages, providing support services for survivors, and implementing comprehensive awareness campaigns," she added.
On her side, KEWOPA chairperson Leah Sankaire stressed the need for community leaders and policymakers to challenge and dismantle harmful traditions that encourage violence against women in the country.
Additionally, the parliamentarians called for a collective effort between all the stakeholders to ensure that justice is served to GBV victims and long-term strategies are executed to prevent such incidents.
"Furthermore, KEWOPA calls upon all stakeholders to work collaboratively in ensuring that justice is not only served but that long-term measures are put in place to prevent such incidents," Sankaire asserted on behalf of KEWOPA.
Before her death, Adan left several voicemails to her mother, in which she emotionally recounted the physical abuse she was receiving daily from both her husband and his relatives.
Adan revealed that she did not want to be in the marriage and that she would rather go back to the refugee camp where she had been living.
Moments before her death, she told her mother that her abusers were taking the phone from her so she would not be able to communicate for a while.
Later, Adan's mother was contacted and told there would be no reason to visit her daughter anymore, as she had been murdered.
