Lawyers gathered at Fasken Martineau on Wednesday, November 21 to celebrate the filing of the “160 Girls” claim in the High Court of Meru against the government of Kenya for failure to protect girls from sexual abuse. The claim was filed on October 11, 2012 — the International Day of the Girl Child — and is the result of the “160 Girls Project,” a legal initiative that aims to enforce Kenyan rape laws and make girls and women safe from sexual violence.
As guests mingled, they were treated to a live performance by singer-songwriter Ruth Mathiang, whose music channels her African heritage. May Cheng, a lawyer at Faskens and the organizer of the “160 Girls” event, gave a speech, followed by an address by Patricia Nyaundi, currently the Dame Nita Barrow Distinguished Vistor at the University of Toronto. Nyaundi is a founding sister of The Equality Effect — the charitable organization behind the “160 Girls Project,” which works to improve women’s and girls’ human rights.
Fiona Sampson, Executive Director of The Equality Effect, gave a moving speech on her firsthand experience of a march by rape victims, their families and supporters of the cause to the courthouse in Meru the day the claim was filed. A speech was also read on behalf of Mercy Chidi, who founded the AIDS relief organization Ripples International in Kenya with her husband.
After the speeches, Andrea Dorfman‘s original mini-documentary of the day the claim was filed was premiered.