Embed

Granny Fight Club

Africa’s rape victims are learning to fight back

On the outskirts of Kenya’s capital, elderly women walk in constant fear, as they increasingly fall victim to rape. However, some are now fighting back thanks to self-defence classes designed especially for them. 

Related: Meet Bolivia's female wrestlers in national costume

Most people in Korogocho, one of Nairobi’s biggest slum neighbourhoods, live on less than a dollar a day. Many eke out a living in this crime ridden area by scavenging in the local dump or reselling produce bought from the local market. HIV has decimated the community, depriving many children of one or both parents. Moreover, rape is rampant, especially against older women who are preyed upon by young men in the belief that sex with a ‘shushu’ cures AIDS and lifts curses.

Related: Karachi's first female boxing club challenges stereotypes

Things are changing though; join 40-year-old Naomi Wanjiro, a local NGO officer, as she teaches some extraordinary ladies to use both their fists and voices to say “NO!”. The program is clearly making a difference to many women’s lives, whether they are 55, 85, or even 105 years old, many say they have been empowered to live their lives in safety and with confidence.

Follow stories the mainstream media ignores: Follow RTD's Twitter

WATCH TRAILER
Please rate this film

10.00(4 users)

Published: 26 April 2017 00:00

Duration

27:37

Tags
Watch this film in Russian

don't miss

26:33
Society 12 February 2016 00:00

SOS: Sold Out Slaves. Kenya's growing child prostitution crisis

26:33
Crime and Terrorism 04 March 2019 11:10

Machete Boys of Congo. Kulunas: Inside the brutal world of youth gangs

26:33
Society 02 October 2017 00:00

Congo: Cycle of life. Cycling club gives youth hope amid poverty & violence

26:33
Society 07 November 2018 00:40

Rwanda. Women in Charge . Work, pray, love: How women are reshaping country decades after genocide

26:33
Travel and Adventure 05 June 2015 00:00

Maasai: From Sand to Snow. Kenyan tribesmen visit Moscow

26:33
Human Rights 15 January 2020 00:30

Mama Uganda . A Mother's struggle to support her 38 kids

26:33
Personalities 13 July 2015 00:00

The Untamed Shrew. Masquerading as a man for over 40 years to earn a living

26:33
Society 06 April 2018 00:00

Togo: Tough to Survive. Togolese children stuck between hard labour and human trafficking

26:33
Human Rights 13 January 2017 00:00

Bride Trade. Fighting Tanzania's child bride tradition

26:33
Human Rights 21 December 2020 20:00

Lady Cops of Afghanistan. Afghan policewomen risk being terrorised, rejected by family, killed but still struggle for an independent career

26:33
Society 07 October 2016 00:00

The Shegué, the Sorcerer and Che Guevara. Saving the Congo's 'witch kids'

26:33
Lifestyle 13 November 2015 00:00

The Congo Dandies. Living in poverty and spending a fortune to look like a million dollars

26:33
Society 02 November 2015 00:00

Migingo: The Iron-clad Island. The most densely populated island in Africa

26:33
Lifestyle 21 March 2022 12:15

Kenya Sexploited. Kenyan boys forced into prostitution

26:33
Emergencies and Disasters 16 August 2021 17:00

Elephant Boom COVID Gloom. How Kenya’s economy survived lockdown

26:33
Society 27 May 2019 01:45

Reaping Divine Justice. South Africa's white farmers brace for race war amid land expropriation debate

26:33
Society 20 October 2017 00:00

Dance, sex, dance. The Story of an Indian Street. The hopes & fears of Muzaffarpur's red light sex slaves

26:33
Society 23 October 2019 00:30

Lost Kids. Stories from desperate parents amid India’s missing children epidemic

26:33
Society 31 July 2015 00:00

Occupy Tower. Living in the world’s tallest slum - the "Tower of David"

26:33
Arts and Culture 25 September 2019 11:52

Bolshoi: Pas-de-Brazil. Brazil’s Bolshoi Theatre School turns favela kids into ballet stars

VIEWER’S CHOICE: 1,000,000 VIEWS AND MORE

VIEW ALL