UNFPA Issues Strong Statement on Olympic Marathoner’s Death

Getty Uganda's Rebecca Cheptegei (C) applies an ice bag on her head as she competes in the women's marathon of the athletics event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) executive director Dr. Natalia Kanem issued a strong statement condemning the death of Ugandan Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei in Kenya.

“UNFPA strongly condemns the violent murder of Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei by her ex-partner. We mourn her passing and extend condolences to her family and loved ones,” Dr. Kanem said in a statement sent to Heavy.com on September 6.

Cheptegei was a victim of domestic violence, which Dr. Kanem said “brings into focus the scourge of violence that women around the world are subjected to, often from those they should trust most.”

The marathoner, who finished 44th in the 2024 Paris Olympics women’s marathon, succumbed to fatal injuries on September 5 after she sustained burns on 80% of her body, the MTRH’s acting CEO, Owen Menach, told reporters, according to France24.

Suspect Identified as Rebecca Cheptegei’s Partner

A Reuters report identified the suspect as Cheptegei’s partner, Dickson Ndiema, who poured petrol on her and set her ablaze during a disagreement on Sunday, September 1.

DW.com reported that the suspect entered Cheptegei’s home at around 2 p.m. and waited for her return from church before attacking her.

The UNFPA, whose mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and violence against women no longer exists, noted that more than half of all femicides are committed by intimate partners or other family members.

“A woman is killed by someone in her own family every 11 minutes, according to 2023 global estimates on femicide, though real incidence rates are likely to be far higher. Globally, despite a drop in the overall number of homicides, incidents of femicide are the highest on record, with 89,000 women and girls intentionally killed in 2022,” the UNFPA statement read.

UNFPA Calls for Global Action to End Violence Against Women

Dr. Kanem urged all governments around the world to take action to end violence against women.

“Global action is urgently needed to protect women and girls from this violence. They need peace in their homes and in their communities. Governments need to provide better support for survivors, by ensuring accessible shelters, health services and robust legal frameworks to hold perpetrators to account. We need to see far more consistent data gathering to measure the scale of the problem,” the UNFPA statement read.

Kenyan authorities were already investigating the killing, according to Reuters.

“The couple was heard quarreling outside their house. During the altercation, the boyfriend was seen pouring a liquid on the woman before burning her,” local police chief Jeremiah ole Kosiom was quoted as saying, per BBC.

The UNFPA exec noted that “one of the most prevalent human rights violations in the world, gender-based violence knows no social, economic or national boundaries.”

Dr. Kanem added that it undermines survivors’ health, dignity, security and autonomy. And it remains shrouded in silence, supported by cultural beliefs and values that sustain, justify or dismiss it as an ordinary part of relationships.

Finally, Dr. Kanem made a plea to men and boys to to step up and defy the destructive stereotypes that normalize violence.

“We need to address the root causes of violence, including harmful cultural norms and the sense of entitlement over women’s bodies that drives these murders in the first place,” the UNFPA statement read.