Source: Daily Nation
Violence against women continues unabated throughout the world except in those "enlightened" countries where the issue is taken extremely seriously and sanctions against it are prohibitively stiff.

For many men, to "discipline" women comes naturally. Not only is the average woman physically weaker, she is also conditioned from birth to accept subjugation, both physical and psychological.

This is more so in societies where the literacy level is low, and the woman is expected to remain in the kitchen when she is not in the shamba.

In many ways, these expectations are changing, though not fast enough.

In societies where women are truly liberated, economic productivity is not only relatively high, families are healthier and households much better off.

Economic realities have dawned on men and they have realised that they can no longer afford to keep their mothers, wives, or daughters on a leash.

Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

It is also the start of the campaign dubbed "Sixteen Days of Activism Against Gender Violence", which ends on December 10, the International Human Rights Day.
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This campaign was launched in 1991. Two decades later, domestic violence and inequalities still persist, be it in the work-place, in leadership, and in most other spheres of life.

Changes will only come gradually through education and awareness-creation, but many of them will have to be forced down men's throats.

On the political sphere and in public leadership, Kenya has made a beginning with the one-third rule.

And on the education front, the free education programme ensures the girl-child will no longer be socialised to accept second class citizenship.

We have a long way to go, but we have taken the first tentative steps. It would be to men's advantage to accelerate the process.

• Kenya