Tag Archives: GBV

Athletics

Coaches are the leading sexual, physical and emotional offenders

The Agnes Tirop Conference began today (Monday, 17) in Kwale County on hot heals as they laid bare what has been eating the sporting industries as they released its report and named the top three offenders when it comes to Sexual, physical and emotional abuse.

The three-day conference named “The Agnes Tirop Conference’’, is running under the theme  Levelling the Playing Field, Gender Inclusivity in Sports and which includes plenary sessions and panel discussions on key thematic areas such as legal, policy, and institutional framework, women in leadership and sports, mental health, sports as a tool for ending discrimination, resource mobilisation and the role of key sector players (including educationists and the media) in mitigating Gender Based Violence (GBV).

The three main abusers according to the findings are:

  1. Coaches
  2. Team Mates
  3. Team managers/officials/Staff

The conference is being held in honour of the late World Cross Country Agnes star Tirop.

Kenyan athletes, federations’ officials, team managers, coaches, representatives of international sports organisations, top government officials, investigative agencies, the leadership of the Judiciary, officials from international financial institutions and Non-governmental Organisations are in attendance at the conference.

The organisers of these conference were appointed by the Sports Cabinet Secretary Dr Amina Mohammed and is chaired by former two-time marathon world champion Catherine Ndereba and deputised by Sports Registrar Rose Wasike.

Also included in the committee was forensic medical expert Dr Kizzie Shako, Ms Hibbo Hussein, volleyball coach Catherine Mabwi and Linda Ndiwa while the male representation was Secretary General of Kenya Archery Association  professor Paul Ochieng, World Athletics Africa Regional Development Centre (RDC) Director Ibrahim Hussein and State House Director of Brand Strategy and Events Thomas Kwaka aka Big Ted.

The conference started today and will end on Friday (13).

Athletics

Ndereba Hands Over Report on Gender Based Violence in Sports

The Ministry of Sports of Sports has received a report on Gender Based Violence (GBV) and discrimination in sports from a committee chaired by two times World marathon champion Catherine ‘The Great’ Ndereba.

The findings of the report handed over to the Sports Cabinet Secretary Dr Amina Mohammed on Thursday, January 13th, 2022 and will be released on January 17th, 2022 during the Agnes Tirop conference in Mombasa.

The ministry will release the findings in the conference for sports stakeholders from Kenya and abroad scheduled for January 17th-21st where members will converge and discuss the priority issues of inclusivity, welfare and dignity in sports with the keen interest of finding sustainable solutions.

The conference is being held in memory of Tirop, who represented Kenya in the Olympic games for long-distance running, who was found stabbed to death in her home on October 14th, 2021. Her husband Ibrahim Rotich a prime suspect in the murder has since been arrested and charged for the killing.

Her death has highlighted incidents of violence against women in the East African country.

Her killing, just days after her last race in Switzerland, was a shock that energized a conversation in Kenya over how to combat violence against women, a longstanding problem.

On July 10th, 2021, Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohammed constituted a nine-member ministerial committee on gender welfare in sports.

The committee was chaired by former two-time marathon world champion Catherine Ndereba and deputised by Sports Registrar Rose Wasike.

Also included in the committee was forensic medical expert Dr Kizzie Shako, Ms Hibbo Hussein, volleyball coach Catherine Mabwi and Linda Ndiwa while the male representation was Secretary General of Kenya Archery Association  professor Paul Ochieng, World Athletics Africa Regional Development Centre (RDC) Director Ibrahim Hussein and State House Director of Brand Strategy and Events Thomas Kwaka aka Big Ted.

The CS made the decision after growing concerns over the treatment of women in sports especially among athletes themselves with the basketball fraternity having come out this week with women players complaining of mistreatment as well as sexual harassment.

The three-day conference named “The Agnes Tirop Conference’’, will run under the theme  Levelling the Playing Field, Gender Inclusivity in Sports and will include plenary sessions and panel discussions on key thematic areas such as legal, policy, and institutional framework, women in leadership and sports, mental health, sports as a tool for ending discrimination, resource mobilisation and the role of key sector players (including educationists and the media) in mitigating GBV.