A woman in Nairobi, Kenya, was attacked and stripped in public on Monday by a group of men hours after the "My Dress, My Choice" protest was conducted in the same area, ABC News has learned.
According to investigators, the woman's inappropriate clothing provoked the assailants to attack her. After she was beaten and stripped, the victim was paraded by the men along a road in Nairobi.
Local law enforcers responded by arresting around 100 people suspected of participating in the incident. Nicholas Kamwende, the head of the criminal investigations unit of the Nairobi police force, condemned the attack and said most of the arrested individuals are matatus, or mini-bus conductors.
Moses Ombati, the deputy police commander in Nairobi said the woman, who was wearing a mini-skirt, was on her way to a local establishment on Monday evening when a group of men surrounded her and started to tear off her clothes, BBC reported.
Roaming patrol forces saw the incident and took the injured victim to a nearby hospital.
Such attacks are prevalent in Kenya due to the society's conservative traditions. The targets are women wearing mini-skirts, tight-fitting dresses or other revealing clothes. Those involved in the attacks claim these types of clothing are considered inappropriate for African women.
Kamwende noted that attacks such as these usually happen in public areas such as mini-bus stations. The assailants, composed of males, surround their victims to strip and beat them.
The latest incident happened during the same day a protest organized by a group of mothers known as the Kilimani Mums was launched in Nairobi. During the demonstration, nearly 1,000 women marched the streets to condemn violence against women, according to Reuters.
Chanting "My Dress, My Choice," the protesters waved banners to express their right to dress how they want to.
The rally was organized in response to the viral video showing a group of men attacking and stripping a woman in public.
