KENYA NOMINATION - AWARD FOR INTERNATIONAL WOMEN

UNCLAS NAIROBI 000820 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR G/IWI E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PHUM KDEM SOCI KE SUBJECT: KENYA NOMINATION - AWARD FOR INTERNATIONAL WOMEN OF COURAGE REF: STATE 12871 ¶1. The Ambassador nominates for the Secretary's Award for International Women of Courage Kenyan Member of Parliament Njoki Ndung'u. In the face of fierce opposition, Ms. Ndung'u, one of only 18 women MPs in Kenya, drafted and championed the successful passage of the Sexual Offenses Act ¶2006. Recognizing her as an active, effective legislator will give an invaluable boost to women pursuing high office in this critical election year in Kenya, as well as give much-needed inspiration to other Kenyans striving for the improvement of human rights in the country. More detailed justification of the Ambassador's nomination is in paragraph ¶3. Bio Data -------------- ¶2. Name: Njoki Ndung'u Title: Nominated Member of Parliament Institution: Kenya National Assembly Date of Birth: 1965 Contact Information: P.O. Box 41842, Nairobi, Kenya; 254 722-519-482; ndungunjoki@yahoo.com Justification -------------- ¶3. Sexual violence statistics for Kenya amply demonstrate the urgent need for a comprehensive law defining, criminalizing, consolidating, and enforcing penalties for sexual offenses. An estimated 16,482 rapes occur annually, according to statistics from Kenyan NGOs. This translates into an incidence of rape occurring every thirty minutes. Recognizing this grim reality, Njoki Ndung'u stepped in to draft a piece of legislation she knew would be controversial but essential for empowering the country's women. Ndung'u, a nominated member of Kenya's parliament in her first term in the legislature, with courage and diplomatic finesse championed the establishment of a legal framework to criminalize the worst forms of sexual offense including rape, defilement, child pornography, sex tourism, and sexual harassment. The law also provides for the much needed criminalization of trafficking of children and trafficking in persons for the purpose of sexual exploitation. ¶4. Ndung'u lobbied to get the bill moved to the top of the parliamentary agenda and mobilized resources for supplemental sessions to allow parliamentarians to gain an in-depth understanding of the legislation. Although Ndung'u faced opposition from some of her parliamentary colleagues over certain provisions in the bill, she stood steadfastly by the principal that recognition of the serious problem of abuse was long overdue and that it was the responsibility of Kenya's elected representatives to take action. The debate on the bill in parliament was heated and split sharply along gender lines. While the elite male MPs debated their perception that the word "No" expresses a range of meanings in Kenyan culture, hundreds of protesters descended on parliament to express their support for the bill. Notably, the Sexual Offenses Act was a private member's bill, rather than a government-sponsored one, making Ndungu's accomplishment even more significant. ¶5. The other prong of her strategy was to raise public awareness. To better spread her message and make information available to the general public, Ndung'u created a website containing information about the history and provisions of the bill and statistics for sexual violence in Kenya. She and other supporters traveled throughout the country advocating for the bill. As a result of this popular pressure, a number of prominent MPs reversed their resistance to certain provisions, allowing for the relatively swift passage of the bill. ¶6. As a result of Ndung'u's sheer tenacity, on May 31, parliament passed the Sexual Offenses Act, and President Kibaki subsequently signed the bill into law. The extensive media coverage of the bill and parliamentary debates heightened awareness of sexual offenses and brought sensitive subjects like sexual mores, rape, and defilement out of the shadows and into the public sphere. The new provisions now arm law enforcement and legal officials with the authority and required tools to carryout community policing, investigations, and prosecutions. Although there is much work yet to be done before the Act is fully implemented, with a champion like Ndung'u, Kenya can realize her vision. Recognizing her commitment and courage during this election year in Kenya, where women are still vastly underrepresented in senior government offices, will undoubtedly inspire more women to pursue the path Ndung'u blazed. ¶7. 7. Please contact Political Officers Melissa Sweeney, (254) 20-363-6186, Sweeneyma@state.gov, or Viraj LeBailly, (254) 20-363-6184, LebaillyVM@state.gov, for matters relating to women's issues in Kenya. RANNEBERGER