World Athletics president, Coe, hails Kenya over moves to tackle gender-based violence. Aftermath of the tragic death of high profile Kenyan women athletes
On a trip to Kenya this week, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe met with leaders to assess and discuss the progress being made in tackling gender-based violence and femicide.
The tragic and high-profile deaths of athletes including former world record-holder Agnes Tirop and former world mountain running champion Rebecca Cheptegei highlighted that gender-based violence and femicide was a critical public health issue in Kenya and many other nations.
These incidents, occurring against a backdrop of rising femicide rates with more than 100 cases reported between August and October 2024, prompted the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) to collaborate with Athletics Kenya to conduct a pilot study aimed at addressing these pressing issues, with a specific focus on the athletics community.
Off the back of that study, and prompted by a compulsion by sporting leaders to create a safe and inclusive environment for athletes to thrive in sports, free from abuse, harassment or exploitation of any nature, Kenya’s Ministry of Gender, in partnership with Athletics Kenya and the NGAAF, issued a report entitled ‘RESET – END GBV & Femicide Athletes Sectorial Engagement’.
“This report represents a pivotal milestone in our collective national efforts to eliminate gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide, focusing on the athletes’ community, who occupy a unique and influential role in shaping our society,” said Musalia Mudavadi, Prime Cabinet Secretary & AG Cabinet Secretary for Gender, Culture, the Arts and Heritage.
“It not only highlights the harsh realities faced by athletes across the country, but also offers actionable insights and recommendations to spark transformative change. We have implemented policies, programmes and initiatives that tackle the root causes of GBV while empowering survivors to rebuild their lives with dignity and hope.
“The fight to end GBV and femicide is not merely a call to action – it is a moral imperative.”
The report listed a number of issues that were identified during athlete engagement sessions. An analysis of those issues led to some key findings, including:
“Financial exploitation: perpetrated by spouses and coaches, race managers and family members among others. Athletes’ lack of financial literacy and dependence on others contributed widely to this.
“ Exploitation by coaches and other influential figures: instances of abuse were reported across all regions and include sexual exploitation, emotional manipulation, and control over athletes’ careers and personal lives.
“ Lack of GBV & femicide awareness: including financial abuse and emotional manipulation. The lack of understanding of these issues hindered their ability to recognise and report the abuse.
“Vulnerability of young female athletes: especially those entering camps without adequate support systems were particularly vulnerable to exploitation. Issues such as parental neglect, food insecurity and lack of mentorship further compounded their vulnerability.
“Threats to safety and security: were raised in several regions including inadequate access control at training camps, lack of police presence in surrounding areas and risks associated with travel.
Several strategic recommendations have been proposed as a result of this analysis, including: resourcing and investing in the fight against GBV and femicide, comprehensive awareness and prevention programmes, enhanced financial literacy and empowerment training, strengthened reporting mechanisms and support services, accountability framework for coaches and support staff, and enhanced security and safety measures at training camps.
In December 2024, the World Athletics Council made a commitment to campaign against gender-based violence as a priority.
“The fact that both our Athletes’ Commission and our Gender Leadership Taskforce have put the critical item on their agendas fills me with confidence in our stakeholders’ understanding that we have a responsibility that goes far beyond what is happening on the field of play,” added Coe. “I look forward to working together with them on supporting our female athletes and to enshrine the results of this work in our safeguarding policies.”
Coe heard firsthand this week from Kenyan President William Ruto and Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya about the seminars they held across Kenya to gather information to better understand the recurring themes and vulnerabilities.
“There are many ways we at World Athletics can provide support, raise awareness and lend our skills, which we will be doing in the coming weeks and months as the Kenyan Government, together with Athletics Kenya, develop the report recommendations into concrete plans,” added Coe.
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