Ugandan middle-distance runner Halimah Nakaayi, the 2019 800m world champion, is utilizing her platform to lift consciousness about gender-based violence in East Africa. In a robust video launched by Uganda Athletics on UN’s Worldwide Day for the Elimination of Violence In opposition to Ladies (Nov. 25), Nakaayi underlines the struggles many ladies (together with herself) face exterior of working.
The video portrays Nakaayi coaching, with the message: “On the observe, she runs for gold… At house, she runs for her life.” It additionally depicts a person threatening her with violence–a risk thousands and thousands of ladies endure. In line with world statistics, one in three ladies will expertise gender-based violence of their lifetime. The marketing campaign, supported by the Ugandan Olympic Athletes Fee, goals to spark conversations and push for systemic change to guard ladies and women.
“SAY NO TO GENDER BASED VIOLENCE” #BreakingTheSilence #StopGBV@WorldAthletics @UOC_media pic.twitter.com/aOar3fENRt
— Uganda Athletics Federation (@UgaAthletics2) November 25, 2024
This marketing campaign comes within the wake of a surprising incident involving Ugandan Olympic marathoner Rebecca Cheptegei. In August, Cheptegei was attacked by her ex-boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema Marangach, who doused her in gasoline and set her on fireplace. She succumbed to her accidents on Sept. 5, with burns to 80 per cent of her physique. Ndiema additionally died, days later, from burns sustained throughout the assault. The incident devastated the athletics neighborhood and highlighted the pressing want to handle home violence in East Africa.
In 2021, Kenya’s Agnes Tirop, a two-time 10,000m world championship bronze medalist, was discovered stabbed to dying at her house. Her husband was arrested and charged together with her homicide. These incidents underscore the prevalence of violence in opposition to ladies, together with amongst a few of the world’s most high-profile athletes.
Nakaayi’s dedication to advocacy stands past her athletic profession. Followers have praised her for standing up in a area the place gender-based points are sometimes underreported. The marketing campaign, launched by the Ugandan Olympic Athletes Fee, serves as a reminder of the continuing struggle in opposition to femicide and gender-based violence, and urges communities and governments to take stronger motion.