ABSTRACT
The #MeToo movement has changed the way communities across the world see, think about, and talk about sexual violence and rape culture. However, commentators have noted the movement’s lack of traction in Africa. The #MeToo movement has not been totally ignored by African feminist and women’s rights activists: the #MeToo movement catalysed action by African feminist and women’s rights activists to continue on-going work or establish new approaches in eliminating sexual violence in their communities. This chapter has three core aims. First, it seeks to document the recent history of work by feminist and women’s rights activists to combat entrenched sexual violence in Kenya, along the lines of the #MeToo movement. The authors also seek to draw similarities, differences, and points of intersection that provide insights into the future of feminist work aimed at combatting and eliminating sexual violence. Second, the authors draw a clear correlation between the work of these brave activists and changes to Kenyan laws on sexual violence generally and sexual harassment in particular. Third, the authors extract lessons from both the #MeToo movement and local movements in Kenya and comment on the future of feminist and women-led efforts aimed at eliminating sexual violence against women.
