In recent years it’s become more common for women to open up about their experiences with family violence, a subject which had long been taboo.
It’s less common to hear federal politicians talk about the abuse they’ve been subjected to.
But that’s exactly what Kenyan-born Liberal Senator Lucy Gichuhi has done in her new book, Behind the Smile, which details her journey from Kenya to the benches of federal Parliament. Open link to listen below:
Her news book, Behind The Smile, details her journey from Kenya to the benches of federal parliament.
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Senator Lucy Gichuhi, the first African-born Australian to serve in the federal parliament, publicly shared her experiences of domestic abuse in her 2019 memoir, Behind the Smile: From the Slopes of Mount Kenya to the Commonwealth Parliament of Australia.
In the book, she details enduring over 30 years of physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her husband, William Gichuhi.
One particularly harrowing incident occurred in 1999 after their relocation to Adelaide, when a disagreement over a bill escalated into violence.
She recalled, “Suddenly, he charged at me like a raging bull and slapped me so hard across the face,” an event that left her “terrified, confused and shattered”.
In addition to the abuse, Senator Gichuhi revealed that she discovered her husband in an affair with one of her seven sisters.
Despite these betrayals, she chose to remain in the marriage, citing her Christian faith and a desire to protect their children as reasons for staying.
Senator Gichuhi stated that her decision to share her story was driven by a sense of responsibility as a public figure. She hoped her experiences would inspire others facing similar challenges and contribute to the broader conversation about domestic violence.
However, her revelations were met with controversy. Her daughter, Joy Muringi, publicly denied the claims, stating that she had never witnessed such abuse and accusing her mother of fabricating the story for personal gain.
Senator Gichuhi’s candid account has sparked widespread discussion about domestic violence, particularly within immigrant communities, and has highlighted the complexities of addressing such issues in public life.
