On hearing of this heinous act of violence and cowardice against an amazingly accomplished woman, I was physically sick. This poster was just my response to do—something.
Rebecca Cheptegei, a Ugandan marathon runner who competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics died days after her former boyfriend poured gasoline on her and set her on fire after they had quarreled.
Though high profile, this unfortunately is no isolated case. In November 2021, a survey by the Ugandan Bureau of Statistics found that a shocking 95% of all women and girls in the country had experienced physical or sexual violence at some point. In a 2023 report, the Afrobarometer Project noted that police statistics in Uganda included 272,737 instances of domestic violence between 2015 and 2021. Those included 2,278 homicides most likely committed by the victims' partners.
Women, but more importantly men, must recognize the root causes of what allows such behavior to occur. Some, but far from all of these are unique to East Africa. These include time spent collecting water. A study found that the time it takes to collect water may contribute to intimate partner violence. Also, widespread poverty is a significant challenge to gender-based violence. In addition, a lack of government action in legal implementation can contribute to gender-based violence.
Rebecca Cheptegei, a Ugandan marathon runner who competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics died days after her former boyfriend poured gasoline on her and set her on fire after they had quarreled.
Though high profile, this unfortunately is no isolated case. In November 2021, a survey by the Ugandan Bureau of Statistics found that a shocking 95% of all women and girls in the country had experienced physical or sexual violence at some point. In a 2023 report, the Afrobarometer Project noted that police statistics in Uganda included 272,737 instances of domestic violence between 2015 and 2021. Those included 2,278 homicides most likely committed by the victims' partners.
Women, but more importantly men, must recognize the root causes of what allows such behavior to occur. Some, but far from all of these are unique to East Africa. These include time spent collecting water. A study found that the time it takes to collect water may contribute to intimate partner violence. Also, widespread poverty is a significant challenge to gender-based violence. In addition, a lack of government action in legal implementation can contribute to gender-based violence.
Other causes are very much in effect in so-called "developed" nations, such as the United States. The main being patriarchal attitudes. These are pervasive and conservative, and are based on the belief that men are superior to women and have the right to discipline and control them. The absurdity that women cannot access abortion in 14 states, while four have banned it past roughly six weeks of pregnancy is a prime example of this. Abortion is healthcare and lack of access controls a woman's right to her own body and future. No such laws exist to ban any male healthcare procedures.
Also, women are often judged or valued solely by their appearance, rather than their intellect. We have seen such rhetoric time and again by weak, insecure, ignorant men who should never have been able to gain a soapbox, let alone access to power in our country.
When we hear such drivel, it is everyone's job to speak up and speak out. It cannot be normalized. We cannot let it go. IT IS HATE SPEECH and is proven to lead to violence.
Gender norms and beliefs that violence against women is acceptable are root causes of femicide. Weak legal sanctions for sexual violence contribute to the problem. Finally, racism and other systems of oppression make black, Latina, Native American, and other minority women misperceived to be "less than" and thus especially vulnerable to domestic violence.
Also, women are often judged or valued solely by their appearance, rather than their intellect. We have seen such rhetoric time and again by weak, insecure, ignorant men who should never have been able to gain a soapbox, let alone access to power in our country.
When we hear such drivel, it is everyone's job to speak up and speak out. It cannot be normalized. We cannot let it go. IT IS HATE SPEECH and is proven to lead to violence.
Gender norms and beliefs that violence against women is acceptable are root causes of femicide. Weak legal sanctions for sexual violence contribute to the problem. Finally, racism and other systems of oppression make black, Latina, Native American, and other minority women misperceived to be "less than" and thus especially vulnerable to domestic violence.
