The National Gender and Equity Commission(NGEC) and the Kenya Women Parliamentary Association (KEWOPA) have urged the government to enforce stricter laws that will ensure forced marriages in the country come to an end. The demand from the two parties comes following the brutal murder of Gaal Adan Abdi, a 17-year-old refugee girl who was forcibly married to a 55-year-old man, subjected to severe abuse, and ultimately killed, with her body burnt beyond recognition.
In different statements released on Thursday, March 27, that NGEC and KEWOPA chairpersons strongly castigated the incident emphasizing that security agencies should investigate the matter and take action on whoever was involved in the incident.
The two organizations further urged the government to offer support in terms of medical, psychological, and legal, to survivors of forced marriages and Gender Based Violence(GBV) in the country.
A Photo Of GBV Helpline Telec-counselors UN Women/ Luke Horswell According to the NGEC chairperson, Rehema Jaldesa, the abuse and murder of the minor not only violated the human and children's rights of the child but also reflected the intensity at which gender-based violence is ballooning in the country.
