Public statement on the murder of a Deaf woman in Kwale County

The Kenya Network of Women and Girls with Disabilities grieves with the family, friends and community of 31-year-old Mejumaa Mwaguni, a Deaf woman from Kinango, Kwale County who was brutally murdered. Media reports indicate that Mejumaa went missing from her rented house on June 3, after which her body was later discovered naked and abandoned on the outskirts of Kwale Town on the evening of June 14.

We condemn this killing. We call for justice for Mejumaa and all victims of Gender Based Violence including femicide. 

Women and girls with disabilities are listed in the report of the Technical Working Group on Gender-Based Violence including Femicide among population groups who face systemic neglect or social stigma, that results in invisibility and impunity when abuse occurs. The report further notes that women and girls with disabilities face isolation, communication barriers, and dependency, which abusers exploit since the likelihood of the victims reporting is hindered. 

Studies have shown that whereas more women with disabilities have experienced sexual violence for example, a small percentage of the cases get reported to the police.

As women with disabilities, we acknowledge the different vulnerabilities we face that heighten risks for violence and the higher probabilities of perpetrators not facing justice.  Whereas at this point it is not clear who the perpetrators are in Mejumaa’s death, we call upon all relevant stakeholders, especially the security organs in Kwale County to do all they must to bring them to justice. 

As per recommendations from the Technical Working Group on Gender-Based Violence including Femicide, there is an urgent need for community outreach programs to raise awareness about existing barriers to the safety of women with disabilities in our communities. There is urgent need to ensure that relevant community interventions ensure women and girls with disabilities receive equitable protection and support, as well as reducing their vulnerability to gender based violence.


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