Nairobi — Four-time Boston Marathon champion Catherine Ndereba has urged male athletes going through gender based violence (GBV) and other challenges to speak out.
Ndereba says many of them are suffering in silence because men have been socialised to believe that opening up about their problems is a sign of weakness.
"When we talk about gender based violence, we are not talking about women but also men. They are also going through a lot but they don't want to speak because they have been brought up to believe doing so is a sign of weakness...that crying is a sign of weakness. This is hurting a lot of them who chose to suffer in silence," Ndereba said.
The two-time Chicago Marathon champion urged athletes to develop meaningful relationships with those they can confide in in troubled times.
"We need to watch out for each other. If you see one of your friends has drastically changed and is no longer the cheerful person they used to be, then you should check on them. Confide in one another and share your challenges with each other. There is no problem that doesn't have a solution," she said.
Ndereba was speaking in the aftermath of the final day of the engagement forums with athletes across the country at the Nyahururu Social Hall on Sunday evening.
The engagements have been organised by Athletics Kenya (AK), Equity Bank, National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) and the State Department of Gender and State Department of Sports - supported by Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS).
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
They began in Machakos before moving on to Ngong' Hills, Kapsabet, Kericho, Iten and Nyahururu.
They have been an opportunity for athletes to highlight experiences with GBV and financial exploitation, proposing measures to counter the two.
These proposals will be delivered to legislators via a communique during the '16 Days of Activism' on November 25-December 10, with the expectation they will be factored in formulation of policies against GBV.
A proud legend
Turning her mind to matters athletics, Ndereba expressed her excitement at Ruth Chepng'etich's world record at last month's Chicago Marathon in which she became the first female athlete to run a sub-2:10 (2:09:56).
"It was always expected that the world record would be lowered especially with the growth of shoe technology. It makes me extremely happy to see our Kenyan girls breaking the world record and fighting really hard to see it remain here at home. As time goes, I expect it to go even lower as we have seen for the men's marathon," Ndereba, who set a world record of 2:18:47 at the 2001 Chicago Marathon, said.
Ndereba is now a commissioner of prisons at Kenya Prisons where she continues to oversee and nurture talents from the correctional institution.
