A group of about ten Kenyan women have just returned from a boat trip to Åbo where they had taken time out to discuss “pressing issues” among Kenyan women in Stockholm. The women returned to Stockholm on Saturday evening after a 24 hour cruise. The issues which came up during the trip included domestic violence against women, lack of unity among women in Stockholm, questions on inheritance of women back in Kenya, effective parenthood, lack of a social forum for Kenyan women in Sweden and growing alcoholism among Kenyan men.
Speaking to Kenya Stockholm Blog, Margaret Njemia, a leading member of the group, said that there are women who are very isolated in Stockholm and that it was time these women emerged to help build a Women’s Forum where women can address issues affecting them within the community.
The women observed that some of their fellow women are being used by men to keep women divided and recommended that these women should be identified and encouraged to help build unity among Kenyan women in Stockholm.
On the question of inheritance, the women said that it was time the laws of inheritance were reviewed especially in Kenya where women continued to be discriminated against. The women resolved that they would embark on a protracted campaign to ensure that the plight of women in Kenya regarding the issue of inheritance back home was brought on the agenda. The motion on inheritance was moved by Mrs Josephine Kirigo. When contacted by KSB, Mrs Kirigo, said that it was time women began to speak up openly and forcefully on the question of inheritance especially back in Kenya.
“We need to bring up the issue of discrimination of women on issues of inheritance because if we do not begin now, nobody else will do it”, she said.
One of the key resolutions which was made during the trip was the formation of a Forum that would address issues affecting women in Stockholm. The group agreed to take contact with Kenyan women who were interested in their idea and to begin work on the project immediately. They warned that Kenyan men needed to dismantle the “walls around them” because Kenyan women were beginning to organize and to fight back.
Pastor Beatrice Kamau, who was also in the trip, said that the discussions were the first in a series of discussions that would follow in the future. She said that similar boat trips would be organized in the future and that a larger number of women would be contacted and brought on board.
Okoth Osewe
makosewe@gmail.com
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