On this bonus episode of Dear Law we discuss the disturbing figures that have been shared on the increase in teenage pregnancies amid the  COVID-19 pandemic. We have heard different reasons suggested by leaders to explain the rise in the pregnancies. Some have blamed pornography, others music. Parents point fingers at teachers and teachers in turn point fingers at parents. The President blames chiefs and threatens to hold them accountable for teenage pregnancies within their localities.  Many blame the girls themselves for having ‘loose morals’, ‘being a shame to their community’ without acknowledging that the law regards teenage girls who are pregnant mothers as victims of defilement who are not only in need of care and protection, but are also deserving of critical sexual and reproductive health services as provided for in law. It is clear that the Government has abdicated its duties and responsibilities to adolescent girls and is ultimately to blame for not only the rise in numbers, but for not providing these adolescents with the protection and services as victims of a human rights violation.

We also sat down with a young lady that was a teen mother. What changes does she think should be put in place to reduce the numbers?

This podcast was made possible by HIVOS and Leteipan & Associates Advocates.

Music credits:

Riverside -  Caleb Carden

In this episode of Dear Law we hear the experience of a female lawyer at the LSK Annual Conference held in Mombasa. Host Sofia Rajab- Leteipan also speaks with Ms Carolyne Kamende Daudi, current Vice President and former co-convener of the Gender Committee of the Law Society of Kenya,  as they look into the LSK Sexual Harassment and Anti Bullying Policy.

What necessitated the legal profession to develop a policy to address sexual harassment? What gaps in the law does this policy seek to cure?   How does it work to better protect the members of the profession from sexual harassment?

If you are a Kenyan lawyer and have had a similar experience we would like to hear from you. Send your anonymous letter to [email protected].

This podcast was made possible by HIVOS and Leteipan & Associates Advocates.

Music credits:

Riverside -  Caleb Carden

On this episode of Dear Law we sit down with David Kyalo, a human resources practitioner with over 15 years experience to understand the legal protections afforded to victims of sexual harassment in the workplace. We get to understand the role employers in the legal profession have to play as outlined in the Constitution and the Employment Act.

What steps can you take if you are being or have been sexually harassed?

If you are a Kenyan lawyer and have had a similar experience we would like to hear from you. Send your anonymous letter to [email protected].

This podcast was made possible by HIVOS and Leteipan & Associates Advocates.

Music credits:

Riverside -  Caleb Carden

In this episode of Dear Law host and advocate of the High court of Kenya Sofia Rajab-Leteipan sits with two male colleagues in the law profession to get their take on sexual harassment in the profession.

Do they acknowledge there is a problem? Are they affected as men?

If you are a Kenyan lawyer and have had a similar experience we would like to hear from you. Send your anonymous letter to [email protected].

This podcast was made possible by HIVOS and Leteipan & Associates Advocates.

Music credits:

Riverside -  Caleb Carden

In this episode of Dear Law we share a letter from a lawyer looking to start her career at a firm. It has been made clear that there is only room for one confirmation at the end of the pupillage period though there are two lawyers working.

What is she willing to do to ensure that she is the one that gets confirmed?

If you are a Kenyan lawyer and have had a similar experience we would like to hear from you. Send your anonymous letter to [email protected].

This podcast was made possible by HIVOS and Leteipan & Associates Advocates.

Music credits:

Riverside -  Caleb Carden

In this episode of Dear Law we share the story of a Kenyan lawyer and her experience looking for an opportunity at a law firm for a holding over position right after she had completed her pupillage.

Had she misunderstood the situation? Did she lead him on? Listen to find out.

If you are a Kenyan lawyer and have had a similar experience we would like to hear from you. Send your anonymous letter to [email protected].

This podcast was made possible by HIVOS and Leteipan & Associates Advocates.

Music credits:

Riverside -  Caleb Carden

On this episode of Dear Law we share a letter from a Kenyan lawyer that had an encounter with a senior lawyer when she went for one of the continuous professional development (CPD) seminars. These seminars/conferences are a requirement for the renewal of the annual licenses that allow one to practise law in Kenya. 

How does the law describe sexual harassment? Do the long arms of the law extend to protect women who are sexually harassed outside our borders? Listen to find out.

If you are a Kenyan lawyer and have had a similar experience we would like to hear from you. Send your anonymous letter to [email protected].

This podcast was made possible by HIVOS and Leteipan & Associates Advocates.

Music credits:

Riverside -  Caleb Carden

Sexual harassment in the workplace is a prevalent and persistent form of gender-based violence and discrimination against women that is deeply rooted in historic power imbalances and the male dominated culture, which permeates governments, the private sector, international organizations, and civil society. The legal profession in Kenya is not spared from the scourge.

The goal of the Dear Law project is to bring to the fore and amplify the voices and collective sexual harassment experiences of women in the legal profession with a view to disrupt the normalisation of sexual harassment.

Music: 

Riverside - Caleb Carden