Results: Karate Grandmas Of Kenya Fighting Rapists

In Nairobi, Kenya, rape has become epidemic, Older women have become targets because rapists feels there is less of a chance that the elderly will have AIDS or HIV. While the authorities do try and find these attackers, a group of women have decided to something proactive to fend off the attacks before hand. A group of elderly women have formed Karate Grandmas, a group dedicated to teaching martial arts, primarily self-defense to women. The group numbers about 20, including one 85-year old and they all know exactly what areas to target -- the nose, chin, collarbone, and of course the genitals. Do you think this is empowering for these women?

Besides the elderly, another target is the very young--a staggering 1 in 3 girls will have been a victim of sexual assault before becoming an adult. The overwhelming amount of rapes or sexual assaults are by friends and boyfriends of schoolgirls. The authorities turn a blind eye because in their culture sexual violence is justified and condoned most of the time. Their culture does not allow people to discuss sexual issues openly, and it's difficult for many people to handle sexual violence in an appropriate way. A unique program called No Means No and Your Moment Of Truth has now tried to change this staggering statistic by teaching these young boys and girls by empowering them, and not shaming them. Have you heard about this program?

No Means No Worldwide began offering self-defense classes to Nairobi schoolgirls, teaching them how to fight back against rape, and teaching boys to become part of the solution, not part of the problem. The Your Moment Of Truth program teaches boys that they do not have to feed into the culture of rape that is so prevalent in their country, but instead make the choice to NOT rape. Since the program has been taught in schools, rape by friends and boyfriends has gone down 20%. Do you feels this is good progress?

In order to fully address the rape problem in Kenya, of course, the authorities have to acknowledge that rape is a problem. If a woman is sexually assaulted during a car-jacking, home invasion or theft, it is only reported as a "crime with violence" or "robbery with violence". Do you agree that the authorities have to change the way they handle these cases?