NAIROBI, Kenya — The Duchess of Edinburgh, Sophie, has called for urgent and concrete action to address gender-based violence (GBV) in Kenya and globally ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8.
Speaking during her two-day visit to Kenya, the Duchess, a long-time advocate of the Women, Peace and Security agenda, said her meeting with William Ruto had opened space for renewed commitment to safeguarding families against GBV.
She acknowledged progress in shifting the public narrative but cautioned that implementation remains the real test.
“We have to move from intent to action. The narrative has started to shift, and I do feel a change in the air,” she said during a February 25 meeting.
She added that she was “very gratified by his response, his empathy, and his understanding of the issues.”
The Duchess pointed to Kenya’s forthcoming third National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security as a promising step.
The plan aims to elevate women’s leadership in decision-making, including in regional security and stability efforts, particularly in areas affected by climate change and border instability.
“The word is action. We have to change things from being plans into actions, because we know that if we do, everybody stands to win,” she said.
She also urged policymakers to involve men and boys in efforts to curb GBV, stressing that the issue affects all genders.
“When we speak of gender-based violence, this doesn’t just mean women and girls. It means men and boys as well. We must not forget that,” she said.
“We need as many men as possible, in the room and in the world, to come with us on this journey, because the world is a better place when we work together. Women’s bodies should not be a battleground.”
Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs Korir Sing’oei noted that Kenya’s 2010 Constitution enshrines equality and sets minimum thresholds for women’s participation in public institutions, but admitted those targets remain unmet.
“That constitutional aspiration still remains unmet,” he said.
Sing’oei highlighted Kenya’s role in regional peacekeeping missions in Somalia and Haiti, where female officers have gained firsthand experience addressing conflict-related sexual violence.
“We have brought back home real lessons, real understanding, and real capacities that we can now bring to bear even in our own context,” he said.
He pledged that mechanisms are being put in place to protect women participating in the 2027 electoral processes, especially during party primaries.
He added that funding and structural support would be enhanced to ensure women candidates are “equal participants in the forthcoming political contest.”
At the same forum, Dr. Edward Barnett, Chargé d’Affaires at the British High Commission, warned that technology-facilitated GBV poses a growing threat to democracy.
He said global estimates show between 16 and 58pc of women experience online abuse, with figures in Kenya exceeding 60pc among women in public life.
“Preventing and responding to technology-facilitated gender-based violence against women in public life is essential to safeguarding democracy itself,” he said.
Barnett outlined UK-backed initiatives in Kenya, including collaboration with the National Police Service on survivor-centred policing, partnerships with universities to develop tools against online harassment, and work with civil society groups to decode patterns of digital abuse.
