Vihiga's Harriet Afandi Leads the Charge against Gender Bias and Obstetric Violence

• Harriet Afandi turned personal trauma into a powerful force for women's empowerment and social justice
• Her activism was sparked by the 2017 political violence that left her father brutally attacked and justice denied
• In an interview with TUKO.co.ke, she said she founded the Elevate Community Network to empower vulnerable women through mentorship, healthcare, and digital skills
• Harriet leads a national campaign against obstetric violence after her sister’s near-fatal childbirth experience

Harriet Afandi knows what it means to rise from hardship and to turn that pain into passion for social justice.

Raised in Vihiga county, she overcame poverty, gender-based violence, and limited access to opportunity, experiences that would later shape her mission to uplift others facing similar struggles.

In a candid interview with TUKO.co.ke, the young woman opened up about how growing up in a male-dominated society, with five sisters, made her painfully aware of the harsh discrimination that women in Kenya face just due to their gender.

"Many communities in Kenya are male chauvinistic, as we all know, and so ours was not an exception. My sisters and I grew up being limited by the systemic gender discrimination and social inequalities that would just sting me all the time," she recounted.

Harriet said the systemic inequalities were compounded by episodes of childhood trauma that she underwent, especially at the height of the 2007-2008 political violence.

"During that time, I shifted from the Rift Valley region to go home to my immediate family. I was trying to escape unresolved childhood trauma, and this transition was not particularly easy," she recalls.

The birth of Harriet's activist spirit

Though her early life exposed her to a myriad of injustices, a horrific incident which occurred during the 2017 political violence sparked her activism.

"After those elections, things turned ugly. I remember a gang stormed our home one night, and we heard a commotion outside. My dad went to check what was happening, and that was when the goons descended on him, injuring him so badly," she says.

Her family heard helplessly as he was being beaten by the gangs, and as he growled in pain, yet they could not do anything as the intruders were vicious.

Harriet and her family tried their best to seek justice, talking to police officers and investigators in the days that followed, but they hit a dead end as the authorities did not nail the suspect.

She felt as if the authorities themselves were protecting the suspect.

"It was frustrating, and during that elusive search for justice, my activism was born and I swore to always speak on behalf of the voiceless and seek justice for those facing such kind of violence because we later came to learn that the goons also targeted me and my sisters but thankfully they did not get to us," she said.

Harriet's humanitarian work

Shaped by her childhood and 2017 experiences, she began to actively join and volunteer in humanitarian causes, with a bias towards women's and human rights advocacy.

"While studying at the Karatina University, I was elected as the vice president, Red Cross Chapter and in my tenure, I led about 256 students into humanitarian work. It was this experience that introduced me to the work of activism and making a difference," she added.

After her university studies, she volunteered with grassroots organisations to champion gender equality and human rights.

Empowering FGM victims

Harriet is the founder of Elevate Community Network, her organisation and project that is dear to her heart.

"I empower vulnerable women by providing tailored mentorship, educational support, advocating for healthcare services, livelihood training and support through affirmative action," she said.

Through this organisation, she piloted a program dubbed the Shift the Power Amplify project in Kenya, which was aimed at reaching out to women and girls who have faced FGM, early and forced marriages, to empower them with digital skills.

Harriet narrated that she launched the project in Isebania, Migori county, which is a hotspot for FGM. The survivors were in a temporary structure when she first started out, and only 52 of them showed up.

"But I was pleasantly amazed that when I returned in November 2024, there was a huge turnout, with the women and girls eager to learn more about digital skills. I was so touched because this spoke to the impact of the initial work I had done with the 52 who first showed up during the pilot," she added.

Not only has she helped the women and girls move from a temporary structure to an improved building, but through her advocacy, the project has since attracted support from the global community

"Through the program, I also organised a medical camp for the women in the community. I am proud of how far we have come," she said.

Harriet's fight against obstetric violence

Perhaps Harriet's most impactful project, which has also been a labour of love, has been in her fight against obstetric violence.

Obstetric violence, also known as disrespect and abuse during facility-based childbirth, is a form of gender-based violence and human-rights violation that occurs within maternal healthcare settings.

It encompasses any mistreatment of women during pregnancy, birth, or the postpartum period.

After Harriet's sister underwent this kind of violence, she could not take it and made it her mission to ensure no other woman would ever have to go through this.

"My sister underwent a CS 11 days past her due date. We were almost losing her due to negligence, and we had to rush her to another hospital, and thankfully, she is now okay. That experience left me traumatised and I wondered to myself, why should any woman pass through such difficulty while bringing forth life?" she added.

She also recalled watching another mother on the news who had undergone such neglect while giving birth, and she decided to do something about it once and for all.

"I started a campaign on change.org, and as it gained momentum, an organisation identified as Nguvu Collective partnered with me. We made the campaign into three, with me championing against any form of obstetric violence in our maternal health system," she said.

The campaign attracted the attention of several lawmakers, including Senator Okiya Omtata. It is now a contribution in the new bill by Senator Beatrice Ogolla on maternal and newborn health.

Looking ahead, Harriet remains determined to expand her advocacy and inspire the next generation of female leaders.

"I believe that when women are empowered, entire communities thrive," she says, her voice unwavering.

Proofreading by Jackson Otukho, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.

Source: TUKO.co.ke