Fatma Anyanzwa-The fight against rape has not been easy

FATMA ANYANZWA, 64, made it to the headlines in the early 1990s for her tenacious fight against rape. She founded the first anti-rape organisation in Kenya and bore the brunt of standing in the frontline against rape and assault. She spoke to NJOKI CHEGE.

I volunteered to co-ordinate activities at the National Women’s Council of Kenya in 1985. During the UN Decade for women (1976-1985), I was exposed to Fida-Kenya and issues affecting women globally.

Fatma Anyanzwa during the interview. [PHOTOS: JOSEPH KIPTARUS/STANDARD]

I started working for Fida in 1990 and participated in the production of a legal book, A Woman’s Guide to Personal Law. I am also the author of the book Sex Abuse. Currently, I am finalising on the second edition of the book titled Sex Abuse & Aids.

I was still working with Fida when the Multi-party Kanu Review Commission invited Kenyans to a forum at the KICC. I attended the forum and sought a chance to speak. Few had the courage to do this, but I spoke because I was passionate about my society. Everyone was amazed at my courage and from then on, I knew there was no turning back.

In those days, Fida did not have a programme for violence against women and children — it only focused on property rights for women and divorce. I was concerned by the escalating rape cases. I, therefore, decided to start the Kenya Anti-rape organisation, which was registered in 1992 to help rape victims cope with their situation.

At around the same time, 19 students from St Kizito Girls’ High School in Meru County died of suffocation after being attacked and raped by boys from a neighbouring school. This incident made me realise the magnitude of our work as an organisation.

We trained anti-rape ambassadors on how to handle rape and posted them to work at different grassroots levels. Our work also involve working closely with the administration and social workers at the grassroots.

Rape cases have been there since time immemorial — only they have been under-reported. Since people are more open about the issue today, it seems like there are more rape cases than before.

The fight against rape was not an easy one. We were not only fighting rapists, but also a judicial system that could not deliver justice to victims.

We once handled a case of three schoolgirls who had been raped by two Asian factory workers in Ruiru. The offenders, unfortunately, went scot-free. We demanded justice. In 1993, I camped outside the high court demanding justice for the victims — much to the then regime’s chagrin. We demonstrated and stood our ground. This resulted to my arrest and that of two other activists. We were charged for "intentionally acting in disrespect of judicial proceedings".

My arrest

A delegation of 21 lawyers — led by Gichugu MP Martha Karua filed a petition against my arrest and we were released. I, however, sustained injuries during my arrest as I was assaulted by the police. This revealed just how difficult it was to get justice at that time.

During this trying period, the international community signed petitions urging the respect of the Kenyan Constitution that guaranteed freedom of expression. The support was overwhelming. The petition indicated that my trial had no basis in law and the charges were dropped. The petitions were signed in Vienna Austria and at The Hague.

What culminated my fight? Prior to the urbanisation of Nairobi, Kibera was a relatively secure neighbourhood. I recall my childhood days living in a safe environment, guarded from evils like rape. However, due to the influx of people, unemployment set in and many people resorted to crime.

Child rape

Kibera was really affected by child rape and assault became rampant. Young women and girls who had been raped would come to me for help. I would take them to hospital and to the police station where they would record statements. I would later refer them to counsellors.

Impunity has cost Kenya a lot. We are witnessing several rape cases that go unpunished and the perpetrators walking away scot-free. There is no respect for the law. I am glad, however, that with the new Constitution, rape victims will get justice.

The HIV and Aids prevalence has posed a challenge as more girls and women are being exposed to the virus as a result of rape. This has been propelled by the fact that most victims seek help when it’s too late. It is possible to counter these challenges with the right systems and structures.

The journey towards total eradication of rape is not and has never been a smooth sail. Kenya has a long way to go. When people learn to respect themselves and the law, then rape cases will be fewer.

During the 1997 General Elections, I vied against Raila Odinga for the Lang’ata parliamentary seat on a Kenya Social Congress ticket. I was also the late George Anyona’s presidential running mate.

At that time, few women dared to go into politics because of the propaganda that defined it then. I rallied women to vote for me because I understood their problems. However, I lost the election abut nevertheless, I discovered that anything is possible if you stand your ground.

I am currently overseeing the Kenya Grassroots Leaders Network in Kibera.

It comprises women leaders at grassroots level collaborating with local authority, government, religious organisations and NGOs. Fida-Kenya has trained them and they mainly work to sensitise women about rape.

I am also mentoring a youth group — The New Visionary Youth Group in Kibera. They deal with environmental issues and sensitise the community on the best practices in environmental conservation.

I also oversee a day-care and child centre — Stawi Junior Child Centre for children below eight years. Most children here have grown up in hostile environments and gone through sexual abuse and child labour.

Women’s agenda

I hope to advance the cause of women — although I am about to hand over the reins of leadership to younger and more energetic women. We hope to form a network of women that cuts across barriers of ethnicity, status quo and religion to push forward the women’s agenda.

I have conducted workshops nationally and internationally on Gender Violence Strategies Research and Interventions. This targeted victims, public, NGOs, state institutions and enforcement agencies such as judges, prosecutors and police.

Many youths and children are living in deplorable conditions. My aim is to see them have a bright future. It is not right for me to educate my children and leave it at that — it is important that I take that extra mile to better the lives of other children.

Source- http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/InsidePage.php?id=2000046592&cid=620

Bring Me The African Guy

The Kenyan invasion of Somalia has got me thinking about the notion of citizenship through government-recognized ethnicity, which has always led to major contentions over who is and isn’t a Kenyan. We have to vanquish Malkiat Singh and the idea that there are “42 tribes” in Kenya.

This seemingly harmless number (42) has fostered the exclusion of communities like the Nubians for generations. Likewise, Somalis are included in the 42 almost shingo upande (begrudgingly): they are Kenyan until they are not, until they are just Somali. Walalo. Wariaye. Pirate. Al Shabaab. The monikers keep piling up, pushing them further across the border and into Somalia. They are us until they become them.

We haven’t all been in this together. Some Kenyans have been more equal than others. Those who’ve been left out are screaming: We don’t die. We multiply.

It is time for us to listen.

Learn more about Nubians, their struggle for equal rights and the history of Kibera at this website.

Source- http://kweligee.wordpress.com/2011/10/25/kenyas-nubians-then-and-now/

The longawaited book is now on sale !!

The long awaited Photography book- Kenya's Nubians: Then & Now. It is now available through Amazon, you can get your copy at;

http://www.amazon.com/Kenyas-Nubians-Then-Greg-Constantine/dp/0983834601/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320185305&sr=8-1

Book stores where the book will be avaliable will be published soon.

Also visit website http://www.nubiansinkenya.com/

African Committee Finds Kenya in Violation of the Rights and Welfare of the Child

Photo-Kenyan birth certificate.
October 13, 2011 By Sarone Solomon

In its landmark decision in Nubian Minors v. Kenya, the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (Committee) for the first time found that the Government of Kenya had violated the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (Children’s Charter) in its treatment of Kenyan children of Nubian descent. As an organization with a mandate to protect and promote rights and welfare of the child, the Committee oversees the implementation of Children’s Charter. Accordingly, following a Communication filed by the Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA) and Open Society Justice Initiative (OSJI), the Committee found that the Kenyan government has failed to ensure Nubian children the right to Kenyan citizenship at birth, which creates a myriad of obstacles throughout their development.

Though Article 14 of the 2010 Kenyan Constitution confers citizenship to persons born within the country with at least one parent also born in Kenya, Nubians have historically been considered aliens, deprived of the protection and benefits of citizenship despite meeting the legal requirements. Consequently, Nubian children grow up virtually stateless, without the citizenship status afforded to all other children born within Kenya’s borders. According to the Communication, inequality under law begins at the point of birth. Public hospitals in Kenya routinely deny Nubian parents birth certificates for their children, often providing the pretext that the parents—having faced discrimination themselves—lack valid identification. Without a birth certificate, Nubian children are thereafter denied essential government benefits, such as access to education and health care. By age 18, they must undergo a complex and lengthy vetting process to obtain an identification card that is proves their Kenyan citizenship. As adults without the proper identification, Nubians will not have the right to own property and they will face many obstacles when seeking employment. Taken together, these forms of state-sponsored discrimination create an environment for Nubian children characterized by collective poverty and limited opportunities for personal development.

As a State Party to the Children’s Charter, Kenya has an obligation to protect the rights of children. Pursuant to Article 44 of the Charter, the Committee has jurisdiction to review the Communication against Kenya. Specifically, IHDRA and OSJI alleged violations of Article 6(2), 6(3), and 6(4), which guarantee the right to nationality upon birth and the proper registration of such. The IHDRA and OSJI further alleged violations of Article 3, which prohibits unlawful discrimination inter alia based on ethnicity, and Articles 11(3) and 14(2), which grant equal access to education and health care, respectively.

In its decision, the Committee found that under Article 6(4), Kenya is required to take measures to ensure that children have nationality upon birth. The Committee also found that Kenya violated Article 3, because there exists a discriminatory practice in the country toward children protected under the Charter that does not serve a legitimate state interest, but rather renders Nubian children stateless. The Committee also held that limited access to education and healthcare stemmed from a preexisting violation of Articles 6(2) and 6(3). The Committee recommended that Kenya take legislative and administrative measures to ensure that Nubian children received citizenship, and to implement a non-discriminatory birth registration practices. The Committee also recommended that Kenya report on the implementation of such measures within six months.

The decision is a milestone in the fulfillment of a founding principle of the Charter, to ensure the rights of children regardless of race or ethnicity. The Committee’s decision is made publicly available, and Kenya is required to submit a report on measure implemented to comply with the decision. Accordingly, Kenya will need to institute mechanisms to ensure that hospitals allow Nubian parents to register their children at birth. The Committee will in turn appoint a member responsible for monitoring compliance. In the face of noncompliance, the Committee may consider bringing the case to the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, should the Court determine that the Committee may bring cases under Article 5 of the Court’s founding Protocol.

Following the Committee’s finding, the Citizenship Rights in Africa Initiative has submitted a recommendation to the Task Force on Citizenship and Related Provisions of the Constitution, calling for a complete revision of the Citizenship Act to confer citizenship to individuals born to stateless parents in Kenya. Established by Kenya’s Minister of State for Immigration and Registration of Persons, the task force should act on the recommendation to supplement the citizenship provision of the constitution to comply with the recommendation of the Committee. With no supporting legal foundation, the Kenyan vetting process—which requires an additional proof of identity for Nubians and an interview before a vetting committee to obtain identification document—should also be revoked. Ultimately, Kenya ought to grant Nubian children citizenship to demonstrate its recognition of Nubians as Kenyans by birth, entitled to equal benefits and protection afford to all citizens in the country.

Source-http://hrbrief.org/2011/10/african-committee-finds-kenya-in-violation-of-the-rights-and-welfare-of-the-child/

There is life after Breast cancer

By Farida Mwangi

Did you know that breast cancer has outdone cancer of the cervix to become the major killer of women? That younger girls and women stand a high risk? And that breast cancer is treatable if preventive and diagnostic measures are initiated early enough?

October is the universal month of breast cancer awareness and Marhaba was honoured to talk to Dr. Fatma Khalfan Abdallah, a cancer specialist at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH)-Kenya’s largest referral hospital, who gave us an insight into breast cancer and steps a woman can take to detect and prevent what has become the number one silent killer among women.

“Breast Cancer is basically cancer of the breast and affects the mammary glands of women though men too are at risk,” says Dr. Fatma. “In its early stages, it begins as a painless swelling/lump on the breast that can be detected upon self examination or through examination by a doctor. It should however be clear that not all swellings are cancerous especially those that occur during adolescence.”

Interestingly, Dr. Fatma notes that in developed countries, older women are more prone to breast cancer but in Africa, more so Kenya, younger girls and women are at risk. “Lack of awareness; unavailability/lack of or expensive cancer detection services; lifestyle; environmental pollution and heredity are the main culprits that contribute to an increase in the number of breast cancer cases.”

Talking from personal experience of friends, relatives and patients who have succumbed to or live with breast cancer, Dr. Fatma acknowledges that a majority of Muslim women suffer in silence as a result of living in denial or lack awareness.

So what are some of the red flags a woman should look out for to detect breast cancer?

Unusual discharge from breast: This is usually the first sign that shows up just before the lump/swelling and comes in the form of a both breast(s).

Painless lump/swelling: This is an ‘innocent’ swelling that develops on the breast and makes one breast grow bigger than the other.

Colour change: The affected breast skin changes colour and turns ‘orange’.

Wound: This is the last stage where the swelling develops into a wound that does not heal quickly.

Though once the above have been diagnosed and confirmed as breast cancer, Dr. Fatma clarifies that it should not sound like one has been handed a death sentence. “Through proper medication and surgery, many women live to tell their story.”

According to Dr. Fatma, those under the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) scheme can access affordable and subsidised rates at the Kenyatta National Hospital though other big hospitals offer treatment.

“Thus breast cancer treatment requires a multidisciplinary approach, that is, team work because different specialists will be summoned. These are a surgeon to remove the lump/swelling, radio therapist to offer chemotherapy/radio therapy, an Oncologist and a pathologist,” says Dr. Fatma.

Since breast cancer treatment is a long term affair that can take between 1-2 years or more with chances of recurrence, Dr. Fatma urges women to initiate preventive measures early enough. These are through self examination, breast feeding, dietary changes among others.

Self Examination:

This can be done each month after the monthly cycle through examining your breasts in front of a mirror. The finger tips and palm of the hand can be used to detect any abnormality/growth on the breasts.

For those with heredity and breast cancer history in the family, frequent mammography (X-Ray) tests and annual medical tests should be performed.

Breast feeding:

The Holy Qu’ran says that women who have given birth to breast feed their babies for 2 years. This Dr. Fatma notes that is the wisdom of Allah. He has enabled our bodies to have an immune system that acts as a preventive mechanism against breast cancer. “If done well, breast feeding for 2 years lowers the risk of a mother compared to those who do it for a fewer duration, say for two months,” says Dr. Fatma.

Dietary changes:

Again Dr. Fatma refers to the Holy Quran and notes Allah’s wisdom in creating different fruits with different colours each with different nutritional values that enhances a woman’s body ability to withstand different diseases. “Take 5-9 different fruits and vegetables per day. In each of the different colours of the fruits and vegetables, Allah has created vital nutrients that enable the body fight cancerous cells.”

Whole meal flour products and consuming fish 3 times a week also plays an important role in the fight against cancer.

When asked about the fear of Muslim women being observed and attended to by male doctors, Dr. Fatma says: “It is the right of a woman to demand to be observed by a female doctor/nurse if it will make her feel comfortable. But at the same time, it can be done in the presence of her mother/husband.

However, this is no longer an excuse since we have many female Muslim doctors and nurses. In cases where health facilities are in remote areas and for the sake of health, Islam is open on this issue and allows a woman to be observed by a man.”

Another interesting revelation from Dr. Fatma to Marhaba was that as much as medicine and doctors are available, faith plays an important part in patients’ recovery. “Have faith and trust in Allah. Be positive that you will get well and you shall make it! Share encouraging words with cancer patients! Look at all cancer survivors, they are fighters-so have faith and maintain a positive attitude!”

Finally Dr. Fatma appeals for patience, understanding and support among husbands whose wives end up losing one or both breasts. “A woman suffers psychologically when she loses part of her body and this may affect her relationship with the husband. However with advancement in technology, a woman can have an implant.”

Source- www.thenewdawn.info