THE PRESENCE OF A WOMAN IS NOT CONSENT
November 7th 2015
Update: Video of Event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wmnj1HNJi9I
The issue of consent and the violation of women’s bodies and spaces by men in Kenya continues to plague us everyday.
From nightclubs to public transport to bus stops to the infamous “Mollis” clip and MP Gideon Mwiti’s alleged rape case, the idea that women have total agency over their bodies seems to exist in an ever shifting narrative, where it is constantly questioned and often dismissed. There is also wide prevailing ignorance on where consent begins and ends. “Why were you there? What were you wearing? Why did you smile at him? Why did you ignore him? But you said yes in the beginning! and He was just drunk...” are some of the many excuses used to dismiss the clear violation of women’s bodies, spaces, rights and agency.
In this forum we want to candidly discuss:
i) Why consent remains such a contentious issue,
ii) Why many men ignore it and;
iii)Why society keeps making excuses for those who do.
A panel of speakers will talk and cover at length what consent means, why men refuse to/don’t get it and what needs to be done to fix it (this includes looking at legal options). Audience contributions will also be part of the the forum as we encourage an unconference, relaxed kind of setting.
The issue of consent and the violation of women’s bodies and spaces by men in Kenya continues to plague us everyday.
From nightclubs to public transport to bus stops to the infamous “Mollis” clip and MP Gideon Mwiti’s alleged rape case, the idea that women have total agency over their bodies seems to exist in an ever shifting narrative, where it is constantly questioned and often dismissed. There is also wide prevailing ignorance on where consent begins and ends. “Why were you there? What were you wearing? Why did you smile at him? Why did you ignore him? But you said yes in the beginning! and He was just drunk...” are some of the many excuses used to dismiss the clear violation of women’s bodies, spaces, rights and agency.
In this forum we want to candidly discuss:
i) Why consent remains such a contentious issue,
ii) Why many men ignore it and;
iii)Why society keeps making excuses for those who do.
A panel of speakers will talk and cover at length what consent means, why men refuse to/don’t get it and what needs to be done to fix it (this includes looking at legal options). Audience contributions will also be part of the the forum as we encourage an unconference, relaxed kind of setting.
Panel
Sheila Maingi
Sheila Maingi is a Nairobi based feminist passionate about gender politics and gender mainstreaming.
Doreen Areri
Doreen is an Advocate of The High Court of Kenya. Her focus in this forum will be legislation surrounding sexual violence in Kenya
James Kariuki
James works with Pamoja Amani Upendo, a community based arts collective based at the Kenya National Theatre that works to empower young musicians and to use art and music as a vehicle for social change.
He says:
“Violation of Women's sexual consent is a common occurrence in our society and is greatly perpetuated by patriarchal social ideals that fail to recognize Women's agency over their own bodies. This conversation is important because it challenges the toxic masculinity that is traditionally instilled in men from childhood, and addresses the widespread problem of sexual violence against women.
I think it is important to participate in "The Presence Of A Woman Is Not Consent" forum because it provides a platform for men to learn how to better engage one another in questioning whether their beliefs on masculinity are harmful, not only to the women around them, but to themselves as well. I would also like to share my own experiences on learning about the importance of consent as an important pillar in the fight for gender equality.”
Moses Wanderi
Moses says:
"I am naturally a curious person, and the feminist bashing on social media peaked my interest. I wanted to know what feminism is about, away from the man hating bitterness implied by most men. This opened an entire world of so many thing I did not know, or rather, assumed were normal. Everyday habits that we take to be normal that are hurtful to the women around us. I am learning new things every day, and unlearning even more as days go by. I hope this makes me a better human being and an awesome dad…especially when I pass along some of it to my sons."
Nanjala Nyabola
Nanjala Nyabola is an unapologetically feminist writer, humanitarian advocate and political analyst currently based in Nairobi. Her work has appeared in print and online for The BBC, The Guardian, New African Magazine, Al Jazeera, African Arguments and many other publications. Her work focuses on justice and integration in post conflict and post crisis societies, but she also dabbles in fiction and creative non-fiction.
The Moderator is Aisha Ali, Writer and Feminist Activist.
Entry: Free
WOMEN AND THE LAW: A SPOTLIGHT ON RECENT KENYAN LEGISLATION
August 9th, 1 pm-6pm, at Pawa254
The Atieno Project is hosting an unconference on Women and the Law: A Spotlight on Recent Kenyan Legislation. The unconference will bring together a group of interested participants, presenters and moderators for an intensive series of discussions focused on women, the law and the protection afforded to them therein. The focus will be on 2 Bills, The Protection against Domestic Violence Bill [2013] and the Reproductive Health Care Bill [2014] and the recently passed Marriage Act, [2014]. We shall discuss any benefits accorded to women in the specific legislations as well as any potential detrimental effects.
The presentations will feature a panel at least 3 lawyers, shedding light on the clauses and sections in the legislations mentioned. There will also be a discussion on public participation and how women can get involved in the legislative process. The panel will feature:
Cheryl Yugi a lawyer, who currently works at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as an eligibility officer assisting victims of torture and post conflict survivors in the realm of Refugee Laws with the view of promoting and defending human rights. She has previously served at the Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA Kenya) Secretariat under the Women and Governance programmes and is very passionate about gender justice, governance and human rights issues in general. She has also served at Agency for Cooperation in Research and Development (ACORD International) as the regional researcher where she was mandated with analyzing and conducting policy reviews in the 7 project countries on issues surrounding gender, conflict, peace building and governance. In addition to that she has also been in close liaison with FEMNET’s advocacy projects and has a wealth of knowledge on issues regarding women’s reproductive health rights.
Cheryl is a feminist who is passionate about youth and women affairs and their participation in decision making processes.
Julian Muturia, an advocate of the High Court of Kenya who is the Gender Justice Officer at Agency for Cooperation in Research and Development (ACORD International). She has worked with TAWLA (Tanzanian Women Lawyers) under the Fredskorpset Exchange Programme. She is a member of the Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA Kenya) and has previously served with the FIDA secretariat.
The moderator, Doreen Areri, is a lawyer and a feminist.
The conversation and presentations shall center on the salient provisions in the pieces of legislation mentioned, and shall incorporate the participants’ input. We also hope to discuss the experiences of Kenyan women vis-à-vis the Law and how the law can be tailored to deal with the injustices visited upon Kenyan women.
Remember that if you attend physically or online that this will be an unconference so we're looking at making it participant driven. People can ask questions that are related to the agenda as well as make presentations of their own on that day. You can also ask questions or raise points before and after the event by using the hashtag #Atieno and/or blogging on it. We will compile what advances the discussion and for posterity's sake archive it in Storify or in the blog section of this site.
The Atieno Project is hosting an unconference on Women and the Law: A Spotlight on Recent Kenyan Legislation. The unconference will bring together a group of interested participants, presenters and moderators for an intensive series of discussions focused on women, the law and the protection afforded to them therein. The focus will be on 2 Bills, The Protection against Domestic Violence Bill [2013] and the Reproductive Health Care Bill [2014] and the recently passed Marriage Act, [2014]. We shall discuss any benefits accorded to women in the specific legislations as well as any potential detrimental effects.
The presentations will feature a panel at least 3 lawyers, shedding light on the clauses and sections in the legislations mentioned. There will also be a discussion on public participation and how women can get involved in the legislative process. The panel will feature:
Cheryl Yugi a lawyer, who currently works at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as an eligibility officer assisting victims of torture and post conflict survivors in the realm of Refugee Laws with the view of promoting and defending human rights. She has previously served at the Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA Kenya) Secretariat under the Women and Governance programmes and is very passionate about gender justice, governance and human rights issues in general. She has also served at Agency for Cooperation in Research and Development (ACORD International) as the regional researcher where she was mandated with analyzing and conducting policy reviews in the 7 project countries on issues surrounding gender, conflict, peace building and governance. In addition to that she has also been in close liaison with FEMNET’s advocacy projects and has a wealth of knowledge on issues regarding women’s reproductive health rights.
Cheryl is a feminist who is passionate about youth and women affairs and their participation in decision making processes.
Julian Muturia, an advocate of the High Court of Kenya who is the Gender Justice Officer at Agency for Cooperation in Research and Development (ACORD International). She has worked with TAWLA (Tanzanian Women Lawyers) under the Fredskorpset Exchange Programme. She is a member of the Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA Kenya) and has previously served with the FIDA secretariat.
The moderator, Doreen Areri, is a lawyer and a feminist.
The conversation and presentations shall center on the salient provisions in the pieces of legislation mentioned, and shall incorporate the participants’ input. We also hope to discuss the experiences of Kenyan women vis-à-vis the Law and how the law can be tailored to deal with the injustices visited upon Kenyan women.
Remember that if you attend physically or online that this will be an unconference so we're looking at making it participant driven. People can ask questions that are related to the agenda as well as make presentations of their own on that day. You can also ask questions or raise points before and after the event by using the hashtag #Atieno and/or blogging on it. We will compile what advances the discussion and for posterity's sake archive it in Storify or in the blog section of this site.
GENDER, SEXUALITY AND FILM. THE UN-CONFERENCE
March 8th, 10am-4pm at Pawa254
The Atieno Project is hosting an un-conference on Film, Sexuality and Gender in Kenya. The un-conference will bring together a group of interested participants, presenters and moderators for an intensive series of discussions focused on the contemporary challenges and opportunities at the intersection of gender, sexuality and film.
There will be three presentations and the themes are presented below:
1. Women, their bodies and their desires. What are the constraints and possibilities?
This will touch on contemporary construction of female sexual agency in Kenyan society using popular movies as a basis. It will explore the framing of women as far as sex and sexual exploration and conduct is concerned in society. As well as explore what we view as acceptable female sexuality against what is deemed unacceptable and why.
The conversations will begin with a presentation by:
Miss Mandi, who is a media personality. She currently hosts the breakfast show for Hits Fm, and is a columnist for The Nairobian. In addition to this, Miss Mandii hosts an online talk show called #VerbalIntercourse. She has made her mark by consistently setting trends through her radio and online talk shows where several of her topics trend on social media. Her written work in the newspaper The Nairobian also receives a lot of feedback. Miss Mandi intends on expanding her brand to greater heights.
Gathoni Kimiyu has been working in the media industry in Kenya for a couple of years as an Actress, Scriptwriter and Producer. In 2013, she produced the show Taraba on Citizen TV which is Kenya's leading TV station, She is passionate about sex positive conversations, which led her to co-founding th conversation platform #Verbalintercourse with Miss Mandii. She says that she encouraged by all the messages she receives regarding healthy sexual relationships.
2. Sexually healthy bodies and minds.
Using a popular Kenyan movie as the basis we will examine our current state of affairs as far as sexual health and reproductive rights are concerned. Touching on the required state of physical, mental and social well-being in relation to sexuality. The topic will explore commonly held perceptions to sexuality and sexual relationships as well as provide a space to re-imagine a better future.
The conversations will begin with a presentation by:
Wambui Waithaka, a public health advocate and Co-Founder and National Treasurer of the Kenya Medical Practioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), the pioneer trade union for health workers in Kenya. Wambui is also a feminist, thinker and she started the Kenyan Twitter hashtag #CondomFridays. She became a feminist after an incident at church, when the priest gave a non-sermon about girls in the youth dressing indecently to church and distracting boys. The pastor went further and insisted that the girls should note that there are consequences of indecent dressing including sexual assault that happen in the streets of Nairobi. On another Sunday, she asked the same priest if he had forgotten to add that if eyes cause one to sin then one should tear the eye out and throw it away. He didn’t like her thinking neither did some of the boys in the youth. She avoided confessions when he was offering.
3. Writing and bringing to life complex women that we can relate to in film.
Examining complex roles through the eyes of a script-writer and actress on a popular Kenyan film. Exploring depictions of women in compromising situations, as well as women in situations that require nuance for us to empathise with their humanity.
The conversations will begin with a presentation by:
Serah Mwihaki, a Writer and aspiring Producer. She says it took her awhile to get to where she is because she didn't know what she wanted to do with her life. Having tried a few careers including travel agent and sales and marketing, filmmaking appealed to her. She loves to tell stories as much as she loves to sit quietly and listen to others. This is why she finds social media is so addictive; she can be a peeping Tom or Jane in her case from the comfort of her bed. Serah has written scripts for various award winning and highly acclaimed movies and TV productions. Such as Nairobi Half Life, My life in crime – the John Kiriamiti story, Kona, and she created and was a writer on Changes (Mnet E). She has acted in Dangerous Affair, Wingu la Moto and Garden of Eden. She's been in this industry long enough to run a studio, from being a runner on Constant Gardener to being a Production Manager for a couple of TV ads and Tabasamu. Currently Serah is working on getting a series that she created – Henry Wood on air this year and 2 movies one (Lash Back) is written the other is a bunch of notes.
Remember that if you attend physically or online that this will be an unconference so we're looking at making it participant driven. People can ask questions that are related to the agenda as well as make presentations of their own on that day. You can also ask questions or raise points before and after the event by using the hashtag #Atieno and/or blogging on it. We will compile what advances the discussion and for posterity's sake archive it in Storify or in the blog section of this site.
March 8th, 10am-4pm at Pawa254
The Atieno Project is hosting an un-conference on Film, Sexuality and Gender in Kenya. The un-conference will bring together a group of interested participants, presenters and moderators for an intensive series of discussions focused on the contemporary challenges and opportunities at the intersection of gender, sexuality and film.
There will be three presentations and the themes are presented below:
1. Women, their bodies and their desires. What are the constraints and possibilities?
This will touch on contemporary construction of female sexual agency in Kenyan society using popular movies as a basis. It will explore the framing of women as far as sex and sexual exploration and conduct is concerned in society. As well as explore what we view as acceptable female sexuality against what is deemed unacceptable and why.
The conversations will begin with a presentation by:
Miss Mandi, who is a media personality. She currently hosts the breakfast show for Hits Fm, and is a columnist for The Nairobian. In addition to this, Miss Mandii hosts an online talk show called #VerbalIntercourse. She has made her mark by consistently setting trends through her radio and online talk shows where several of her topics trend on social media. Her written work in the newspaper The Nairobian also receives a lot of feedback. Miss Mandi intends on expanding her brand to greater heights.
Gathoni Kimiyu has been working in the media industry in Kenya for a couple of years as an Actress, Scriptwriter and Producer. In 2013, she produced the show Taraba on Citizen TV which is Kenya's leading TV station, She is passionate about sex positive conversations, which led her to co-founding th conversation platform #Verbalintercourse with Miss Mandii. She says that she encouraged by all the messages she receives regarding healthy sexual relationships.
2. Sexually healthy bodies and minds.
Using a popular Kenyan movie as the basis we will examine our current state of affairs as far as sexual health and reproductive rights are concerned. Touching on the required state of physical, mental and social well-being in relation to sexuality. The topic will explore commonly held perceptions to sexuality and sexual relationships as well as provide a space to re-imagine a better future.
The conversations will begin with a presentation by:
Wambui Waithaka, a public health advocate and Co-Founder and National Treasurer of the Kenya Medical Practioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), the pioneer trade union for health workers in Kenya. Wambui is also a feminist, thinker and she started the Kenyan Twitter hashtag #CondomFridays. She became a feminist after an incident at church, when the priest gave a non-sermon about girls in the youth dressing indecently to church and distracting boys. The pastor went further and insisted that the girls should note that there are consequences of indecent dressing including sexual assault that happen in the streets of Nairobi. On another Sunday, she asked the same priest if he had forgotten to add that if eyes cause one to sin then one should tear the eye out and throw it away. He didn’t like her thinking neither did some of the boys in the youth. She avoided confessions when he was offering.
3. Writing and bringing to life complex women that we can relate to in film.
Examining complex roles through the eyes of a script-writer and actress on a popular Kenyan film. Exploring depictions of women in compromising situations, as well as women in situations that require nuance for us to empathise with their humanity.
The conversations will begin with a presentation by:
Serah Mwihaki, a Writer and aspiring Producer. She says it took her awhile to get to where she is because she didn't know what she wanted to do with her life. Having tried a few careers including travel agent and sales and marketing, filmmaking appealed to her. She loves to tell stories as much as she loves to sit quietly and listen to others. This is why she finds social media is so addictive; she can be a peeping Tom or Jane in her case from the comfort of her bed. Serah has written scripts for various award winning and highly acclaimed movies and TV productions. Such as Nairobi Half Life, My life in crime – the John Kiriamiti story, Kona, and she created and was a writer on Changes (Mnet E). She has acted in Dangerous Affair, Wingu la Moto and Garden of Eden. She's been in this industry long enough to run a studio, from being a runner on Constant Gardener to being a Production Manager for a couple of TV ads and Tabasamu. Currently Serah is working on getting a series that she created – Henry Wood on air this year and 2 movies one (Lash Back) is written the other is a bunch of notes.
Remember that if you attend physically or online that this will be an unconference so we're looking at making it participant driven. People can ask questions that are related to the agenda as well as make presentations of their own on that day. You can also ask questions or raise points before and after the event by using the hashtag #Atieno and/or blogging on it. We will compile what advances the discussion and for posterity's sake archive it in Storify or in the blog section of this site.