Virtuarte.com

As many of you know last month I went to the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market (Market), where I met Rebecca Lolosoli of Kenya. (see blog post dated 21 July 2009) Rebecca is the matriarch of Umoja Uso Women's Village, a community of women who were facing social and economic difficulties; abandoned by their families; or fleeing domestic violence, forced marriage, or genital mutilation. The women of this community create beautiful beadwork that was sold at the Market.

On the 18th of August Rebecca was confronted by a group of armed male family members demanding access to the village's land and money. Having learned about Umoja's income from the sales at the Market, Rebecca's ex-husband and another family member traveled to the village. Rebecca was beaten but refused to turn over the village's money. She escaped, fled and reported the crime. A majority of Umoja's residents have fled the area, waiting for security to improve and a sense of normalcy to return. Rebecca filed complaints with local police chiefs. According to these authorities, the attack is considered a domestic incident that does not justify police intervention.

On the 20th of August Rebecca secured legal representation and petitioned a local Samburu court of protection. The court has granted her an injunction that prohibits her former husband from entering the Umoja village. Law enforcement will inform Rebecca's ex-husband, who has not been charged with any crimes, that he cannot enter Umoja. Offficials also plan to visit Umoja to reassure residents that measures are being taken to protect the community. Uncertain and insecure, Rebecca remains reluctant to return to Umoja. She plans to travel to Nairobi to meet with members of the Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), an organization with expertise in violence against women.

Rebecca is a member of the Vital Voices network and its members in Kenya have shown extraordinary effort in reaching out to Rebecca, providing for her needs and working on her behalf. The US State Department Africa Bureau, the US Embassy in Nairobi, and the Office of Global Women's Issues at the US State Department are also monitoring the situation. The Kenya Embassy in Washington has made calls to local officials to ensure that all steps are being taken to ensure Rebecca's safety.

This is an incredible woman who is very passionate about her cause, reducing violence against wormen and curbing the negative cultural practices that are harmful to women's health, safety and well-being. Rebecca is a very strong person and will use this incident to spur her on rather than diminish her activities. I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to meet Rebecca and hope to see her next year at the Market.

As Vital Voices continues to learn more about Rebecca's situation, they will provide updates and information about the ways in which we all can express our support for Rebecca and the women of Umoja Village. One of the ways we can show our support now is to go to the Vital Voices blog and leave a comment. I am going to do that right now. The link is http://vitalvoicesonline.org/blog/2009/08/19/violence-threatens-rebecca-lolosoli-and-umoja-uaso-village-in-kenya/