KEWOPA Calls for Abolition of Death Sentence for Women Ahead of 16 Days of Activism

 

Members of the Kenya Women Parliamentary Association (KEWOPA) have launched a renewed push to abolish the death penalty for women, urging the government to adopt alternative deterrent sentences that uphold gender justice and human dignity.

The call comes ahead of the global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV), with the women legislators advocating for Kenya to adopt the African Union’s draft Protocol on the abolition of the death penalty.

During a roundtable breakfast meeting with the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) – Kenya Section, KEWOPA members raised concerns over the treatment of women within the criminal justice system, noting structural inequities that disadvantage women facing capital charges.

Speaking on behalf of KEWOPA Chairperson, Senator Beth Syengo reaffirmed the caucus’s commitment to advancing legal reforms that prioritise fairness and gender-responsive approaches.

“We stand ready to work with ICJ Kenya, the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, development partners, and fellow parliamentarians to ensure that no woman is further victimised by a system meant to protect her,” Sen. Syengo said.

She highlighted that women on death row often confront multiple layers of injustice stemming from their gender, socio-economic vulnerabilities, and gaps in institutional safeguards.

“When a woman is sentenced to death, she is not only punished for a crime, she is often punished again for her gender, for systemic inequities, and for the failures in structures meant to protect her,” she added.

ICJ Kenya Chairperson Christine Alai noted that despite legal reforms—such as the abolition of the mandatory death sentence for murder in 2017 and periodic mass commutations—courts continue to hand down capital punishment for offences including murder, robbery with violence, attempted robbery with violence, and treason.

She urged lawmakers to address the often-overlooked realities of women facing capital punishment.

“Their unique needs and challenges are overlooked by criminal legal systems historically created by men for men,” Ms. Alai said, adding that these systems frequently ignore the pathways that lead women to incarceration, including domestic and gender-based violence.

KEWOPA members emphasized the importance of engaging with women prisoners to better understand their experiences, noting that many women facing death sentences are themselves survivors of prolonged abuse. They urged judges to consider such mitigating factors when issuing rulings.

The legislators reiterated that national discussions on the death penalty must integrate a gender-sensitive perspective.

“Justice that is blind to gender is not justice at all,” they affirmed, calling for policy reforms that reflect the lived experiences of women and advance Kenya’s human rights commitments.