The Role of Heterosexual Masculinity in Perpetuating and Erasing Femicide

MAEVe October Seminar: The role of heterosexual masculinity in perpetuating and erasing femicide

Welcome to the MAEVe October Seminar! Join us for an insightful online event where PhD Student, Judith Kibuye, will discuss her research. Judith explores the role of heterosexual masculinity in perpetuating and erasing femicide. Most literature focusing on violence against women (VAW) has not persuasively explored the linkage between heterosexual masculinity and femicide. First, she explores the link between heterosexual masculinity and femicide. Second, she examines how heterosexual masculinity erases femicide. To adequately respond to the core research problem, she develops a theoretical framework starting from Connell’s theory of masculinities.

Empirically, she focuses on three sites within one location, Kiambu County, Kenya, because VAW is more prevalent in this region than in other parts of Kenya. These sites represent: (a) day-to-day practices of heterosexual masculinity, (b) the media, and (c) government agencies. Methodologically, she employs a qualitative case-study approach, incorporating two key features: textual analysis and interview data, as well as discourse analysis.

The findings suggest that femicide is erased through both legal policy and the invisibilisation of key risk factors. Specifically, she

- demonstrates how the provocation defence and its surrounding narratives contribute to the erasure of male violence

- illustrates how the application of plea bargaining further facilitates the erasure of femicide within legal processes and

- further demonstrates how estrangement—a significant risk factor in femicide perpetration—is routinely overlooked. This, in turn, obscures the role of male control as a driving force behind victim-instigated estrangement-related femicide, thereby reinforcing its erasure from both legal and societal recognition.

To register for online attendance, please use this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1752502535259?aff=oddtdtcreator

Presenter Information:

Judith is a third-year PhD student at the University of Bristol in the School of Sociology, Politics, and International Studies. Her research focuses on the role of heterosexual masculinity in femicide cases in Kenya. As part of field work, Judith examined court documents and interviewed state actors, including court personnel, police officers, prosecutors and government officials, all within the county under focus.

Judith’s conceptual framework is grounded in the understanding that femicide is being erased. This erasure renders both femicide and the experiences of its victims invisible. Consequently, Judith is committed to reclaiming these silenced narratives and making the voices of murdered women heard. Currently, Judith is also involved in a project that works on female genital mutilation in the United Kingdom. Judith is the Founder of the Association of Gender Studies in Africa (AGSA).

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

The University of Melbourne, Building 181, Parkville, Australia