Editorial | At-risk women

Mere weeks after Ugandan Rebecca Cheptegei exhibited her athletic prowess and grit at the Paris Olympics, the 33-year-old marathon runner is dead. She was doused with gasolene and ignited by a former boyfriend.

The tragic event unfolded in northwest Kenya, where the athlete lived with her two children while she carried out her training at a nearby facility. It is reported that after an argument over land, her ex-boyfriend stormed her house, threw gasolene on her and set her on fire. She sustained severe burns which led to multi-organ failure and her eventual death, four days later.

This tragic event has been greeted by outrage and worldwide condemnation. Paris announced it will pay tribute to her by naming a sport venue in her honour. “She dazzled us here in Paris. We saw her. Her beauty, her strength, her freedom, and it was in all likelihood her beauty, strength and freedom which were intolerable for the person who committed this murder,” said the mayor of Paris.

With Cheptegei being the third high-profile athlete to be murdered in Kenya in as many years, female athletes there have formed a support group and are appealing to all those who have suffered abuse of any form to come forward. And women’s group in Kenya are demanding action to tackle “rampant” gender-based violence which they partly blame on a patriarchal society.

STARK REMINDER

Even though it happened thousands of miles away from Jamaica, the incident serves as a stark reminder that domestic violence remains a critical issue here too, as it is in other parts of the world. For example, late last month, we heard the horrific news that a St. Thomas woman was beheaded and discarded in bushes as she made her way to work in Kingston during the early hours of the morning.

Reports of physical violence by intimate partners, including husbands, have jolted the nation in recent times. And while there have been some prosecutions and convictions, many of the perpetrators have never been brought to justice.

What ever happened to visually impaired UWI student Jasmine Dean who left school one night in 2020 on her way home to Harbour View and was never seen again? Was she a victim of gender violence?

In a bid to achieve gender equality the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals consistently advocate the elimination of violence against women. The mandate is for societies to find collective ways to prevent, minimize or respond to threats to womenfolk by ultimately creating societies that respect and protect the dignity and right of individuals.

In the case of Cheptegei, reports that her ex-boyfriend had been fighting her over land and had become problematic, were ignored by the police. That is a familiar response to reports of abuse or physical aggression either by a current or past partner. The police usually ignore these reports, dismissing them as relationship spats, and nothing is done. The situation is then allowed to fester and eventually explodes with grave consequences to families and communities. These reports should all be taken seriously.

As a result of this lack of response from the authorities many women suffer in silence. They do not report abuse – whether physical of sexual. Sometimes they fear reprisals, or social stigmatisation.

Gender violence is undermining the social fabric of our society and men should join the efforts to empower women since political, economic and social equality benefits everyone.

The Uganda Athletics Federation eulogised Cheptegei on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, writing, “We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our athlete, Rebecca Cheptegei, early this morning who tragically fell victim to domestic violence. As a federation, we condemn such acts and call for justice. May her soul rest in peace.”