SEXUAL ASSAULT, WHO IS TO BLAME

by Lulu Kinyanjui

How many times have women been harassed in the busy streets of Nairobi and we turned a blind eye?

Often do we find fault in women. We tell them cover up, don’t show off too much not in the name of decency or culture or religion but because most men have refused to learn the art of not sexualizing women.

So, to what pleasure is there in stripping and harassing women sexually for even those decently dressed cannot claim to not have been victims in the busy streets of Nairobi for even a simple sexual act such as spanking becomes sexual assault but many are the times we tell …

… women when they complain that they are overreacting. It’s such a pity that this happens to women of all ages but society tries to silence women’s voices when they speak up dimming them as ‘attention seekers’.

The question remains, who is to blame? Is it the women or the uncultured men that try to find excuse in harassing women? Many cases are not reported. Many women remain silent trying to protect their reputation and dignity for culture silently wants them to.

For fear that even though they are victims society will see fault in them and so many women have been forced to silently ignore harassments and quietly be traumatised rather than tell and be judged.

But let it be known that there is no such thing as getting used to sexual harassment because sexual harassment is still sexual harassment. No one has the right to tell women how to feel about it.

And the question still remains, should we blame women for indecent dressing or men for sexualizing women?

This article was first published on the Daily Nation – Feb 2021. Lulu is a Nawiri Initiate 2014, Nawiri Plus Mentee 2015-2018 and xCan? iCan! Graduate 2019.