The Girls Not Brides Kenya is deeply saddened and outraged by the horrific murder of 17-year-old Gaala Aden Abdi, a refugee from Dadaab Refugee Camp. Gaala was forcibly married to a 55-year-old man, subjected to severe abuse, and ultimately murdered — her body burned beyond recognition in Wajir County.
We acknowledge the arrest of the perpetrator and demand that justice is swift and uncompromising. This brutal act is not an isolated tragedy; it is a glaring indictment of the persistent violations of girls’ rights in Kenya.
Every year, 12 million girls are married before the age of 18, that’s 23 girls every minute, nearly one every three seconds. Child marriage is not a cultural practice to be tolerated; it is a human rights violation rooted in gender inequality and reinforced by poverty, lack of education, harmful social norms, and insecurity.
Kenya’s Legal Commitments
Kenya is a signatory to several regional and international instruments and has enacted legal frameworks designed to protect women and girls from gender-based violence, child marriage, and other harmful practices. These include:
National Legal Frameworks:
- The Constitution of Kenya (2010) – Guarantees gender equality, non-discrimination, and protection from violence.
- The Marriage Act (2014) – Sets the legal marriage age at 18 and criminalises child marriage.
- The Protection Against Domestic Violence Act (2015) – Provides legal protection against domestic violence, including child marriage.
- The Children Act (2022) – Strengthens child protection measures and reinforces the legal framework against child marriage.
Regional Instruments:
- The Maputo Protocol – Protects women’s rights and criminalizes harmful practices, including child marriage.
- The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) – Safeguards children’s rights and prohibits child marriage.
International Instruments:
- The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) – Mandates the eradication of discriminatory practices against women and girls.
- The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) – Affirms the rights of every child to be protected from harmful practices, including early and forced marriage.
A Call to Action
Gaala’s tragic death must serve as a wake-up call.
We urge the government to:
- Enforce existing laws against child and forced marriages, ensuring that perpetrators face the full force of the law.
- Strengthen prevention efforts, including community awareness campaigns to challenge harmful norms and attitudes.
- Expand support services for survivors, ensuring access to shelter, legal aid, psychosocial support, and education opportunities.
- Enhance protection mechanisms for vulnerable girls, especially refugees, who are at heightened risk of child marriage and gender-based violence.
We stand in unwavering solidarity with Gaala, with survivors, and with all those working to ensure that no girl is ever forced into marriage, abused, or killed simply for being born a girl.
Signed,
Co-Conveners:
- Samburu Girls Foundation,
Wanjiru Wahome, Executive Director. - Orchid Project,
Macharia Karanja, Programmes Manager.