WITNESS is training women activists in Kenya

WITNESS is training a group of women to use video in their advocacy campaign.

According to the Chris Michaels blog on the WITNESS website, Michale notes, The group includes 17 activists who, with their organisations are campaigning to reform Sudan’s oppressive Rape law; addressing systematic rape as a weapon of war in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic; calling for the government of Kyrgyzstan to implement existing laws to address bride kidnapping, which is happening at epidemic levels; and addressing gender based violence in Kawangware, a large settlement here in Nairobi. All of these situations are occurring with total impunity with state officials responsible.

Michaels noites that, “Their powerful stories told by the women and advocacy work they are engaged in will be used to impact decision makers locally, nationally, regionally and internationally.  Additionally, their stories and the brave voices of those affected in their communities will be amplified and further bolster the ever-growing movement for gender justice and its calls for urgent action against gender-based violence.”

We applaud this project for the work it is doing to advance human rights through strengthening the advocacy tools available to the particpants. We applaud it too because while the work of these women is geared at advocacy, it is also creating an enduring record of the abuses suffered by women and the proactive measures that they, and WITNESS are taking to address this, adding a resource to the human rights archive from which others may learn. We are mindful too that this project must play a role in healing the deep wounds suffered by these women.

For more information see the WITNESS video advocacy model read the WITNESS post by Chris Michaels or visit the WITNESS website.

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