Margaret, a resident of Bangladesh, Mombasa County is a charming, determined mother of three and an entrepreneur. She holds a bright vision of how her life and that of her kids will eventually turn out to be despite her rocky past.
The peaceful march organised by CREAW and supported by like-minded Women Rights Organisations was a culmination of a continued 16 days of Activism campaign to educate the public on sexual offences and address the state on protection of survivors of sexual violence.
My struggle started when I got married. While my wedding was joyful, my marriage did not experience the joy. My husband was abusive and the trauma broke me making me feel helpless
CREAW is proud to be a strategic partner in the SHE SOARS (Sexual and reproductive Health & Economic empowerment Supporting Out of school Adolescent girls’ Rights and Skills) program in Dagoretti North and Westlands subcounty.
Women’s economic rights and opportunities in Bomet as it is in many other counties is undermined by many factors. Social & economic barriers, including retrogressive social and cultural norms, lack of access to capital & credit facilities, and limited economic empowerment programs for women, are some of the vices that discourage women from practicing key entrepreneurial behaviors like competitiveness.
The Centre for Rights, Education and Awareness was on Tuesday, 14 June, recognized by the Gender Is My Agenda Campaign Network with the Civil Society Award at the State House.
In light of the changes in the work environment and statutory structures in the country (Kenya), we thought of bringing the below FACTS to your attention, in our favourite HR segment titled Le Savies Vous
FIVE HR Employment relations FACTS
In Kenya, women’s groups movement emerged in the pre-independence era which scaled up in the wake of independence in response to the development aspirations targeting illiteracy, poverty and disease burden. However, as years go by, more and more emerging issues affecting communities have continually been spotlighted by women groups. From political exclusion, gender bias, violence against women and girls as well as social injustices.
It is to this end that the Women’s Voice and Leadership (WVL) program supported by Global Affairs Canada through CARE Kenya is implementing a project to support the capacity and activities of local and national women-led organisations seeking to increase enjoyment of human rights and gender equality by women and girls in Kenya.
To achieve this, the project is providing funding to the grass-root women rights organisations and networks, in recognition of the funding gaps they face. Amongst the many gaps they needed to fill, Human Resource was identified as a capacity building area of need. Having noted that human resource department is the heart and soul of any organisation, we embarked on capacity building trainings to help the women rights organisations get to speed with the basics of the department needs.
The training areas largely focused on Human Resource policies, Board Charter and governance policies, Organisation structures and charts, Statutory registration, Talent Acquisition, performance management, Payroll management amongst others.
The sessions are still ongoing with several physical and virtual trainings for the group’s in Bomet, Kericho, Nanyuki, Mombasa, Kilifi and Nairobi counties. It is key to note that without proper human resources management the women led organisations would have had a hard time working effectively to achieve their institutional objectives.
Across the globe, women continue to deal with discrimination and gender-based violence. Kenya is no exception despite having a constitution that prohibit discrimination either directly or indirectly. UN Women estimates that gender-based violence impacts nearly 40% of Kenyan women. Sadly Women continue to bear the burden of unpaid domestic tasks, which can limit the long-term opportunities for women and girls.
In the workplace, women continue to occupy lower-paid positions with limited opportunities to progress, which increases their vulnerability to harassment and exploitation.
It is on this backdrop that Haki na Usalama project aimed at restoring dignity and justice for survivors of gender-based violence. CREAW in partnership with FEMNET, and Gender Violence Recovery Centre (GVRC) has been focusing on a multi-sectoral approach towards addressing rampant violence against women working in tea farms, women out-growers, grassroots women groups, men and youth, County government, and wider GBV state and non-state stakeholders who are key players, to improve the attitudes and behaviour related to women’s and girls’ rights and create viable economic spaces where they can enjoy their rights free from violence.
Through the GBV training using the SASA! model conducted on tea farmers, religious persons, and leaders of women groups, it emerged that cultural practices and traditions, poverty, polygamy, substance and drug abuse, tea bonuses, social protection stipends, and peer pressure were triggers of GBV. Sadly rape, defilement, forced sex, FGM, and wife-beating were the common forms of violence mentioned by participants.
“Sexual harassment has been happening within the tea buying centres. It is only that we did not know what to call it. Occasionally we experience inappropriate physical gestures, particularly tickling of palms while being greeted or even intentional rubbing of the breast while weighing tea,” says *Cherono (Not her real name) who is a tea out-grower in Kericho.
The knowledge gained from the training has enabled the trained champions of change to discuss GBV issues as well as organize for joint awareness sessions to speak to adolescent girls and boys during the school holiday.
“My passion to speak about GBV since I was trained by CREAW has accorded me a platform to speak during chief barazas about the effects GBV has on the development of the community and this has inspired me to speak about prevention of GBV at every chance I get. I am now very important in my community and I have earned the title GBV woman (mama wa GBV)” Shares Margaret from Nyamira county.
The Gender committees are now more robust and targeted in their structures due to the Gender concepts and sexual harassment knowledge training that was conducted by CREAW. The training helped strengthen the Gender Committee in the tea factories which was recently constituted as per Rainforest Alliance Farm standards requirements.
“I feel that it is time for women to take up senior job positions in the tea factories. I believe that our gender committee can achieve this goal. The training has also helped me a lot as a family man. I have learned how to relate better with my spouse and children” says Felix Koskei a tea factory worker in Bomet.
The training also helped the factories identify the Gender-blind actions that need to be reviewed to ensure well-being of all the stakeholders within the Tea sector ranging from its staff, buyers, farmers and suppliers to increase tea productivity while upholding human rights as highlighted within the human resource policy.
Kelvin Murori is an epitome of the silent reality of men who go through intimate partner violence. The 30 year old father of 2, had a rough patch in his marriage, to the extent of his wife of 5 years abusing him physically.
In this typical patriarchal society where men shun away from sharing their marital challenges, Murori is defying the narrative and boldly steps out to tell his story.
“ My wife used to beat me when I come home from work without any money. She would get so aggressive to the point of locking me out of the house. I spent nights out in the chicken shed since I did not want anyone to know what I was going through,” Confirms Murori.
The boda boda operator came across Razia Salim a community champion from Wabera ward, who was raising awareness about gender based violence in the community. The message attracted him, which ended up helping him to open up to her.
“ I was invited to join a men engagement meeting. I realized there was a meeting of men in the community who were standing up for the rights of women and girls, as well as mentoring young men to be responsible members of the community,” Says Murori.
Through his continuous engagement and active participation in the meetings, is when it dawned on him that he had not been supportive enough to his wife and children. Unfortunately, he would sometimes spend the little money he made as a boda boda operator in consuming alcohol.
“ He would come home empty handed and expected to find food on the table. I would get frustrated because at that point, I was also struggling to make ends meet for the family. I know what I did was extreme but am grateful to Razia who helped me join a table banking group that has really helped improve the economic status of my family,” Shyly says Pascaline as she confirms her past brutality towards her husband.
The couple now owns 2 motorcycles which have been a great income generation, that has seen Murori provide for his family. His wife Pascaline also started a vegetable vending business in Kiwanja Ndege and together, the couple is epitomizing strength in unity. The punches and exchange of kicks and blows have been silenced by peaceful hugs and laughter.
According the Men Group in Kiwanja Ndege location is Isiolo county, the greatest challenge women and girls face in the community, is the retrogressive culture of Female Genital Mutilation, which has seen girls drop out of school.
“I have personally protected my grandchildren against the Cut. My girls are survivors but have sworn not to let their children and the next generation from going through the initiation,” says Abdul Haji, one of the elders at the group.
Jeremiah Kaberia is another reformed man in the group. The father of 6 regrets his early years of marriage as he was an absent father to his children. His love for the bottle superseded that of his family to the extent of him being a run-away husband. However, ever since he was introduced to the group, he has turned a new leaf.
“I have started bonding with my children afresh. I now know how they are faring on in school. I have become responsible to family thanks to this group. We have accountability partners who help us stand when we fall,” confirms Kaberia.
Through the Wajibika project, men engagement has been identified as a holistic approach to prevent and respond to SGBV. This is due to the critical role men and boys play in promoting gender equality as well as engaging with multiple systems and stakeholders for gender transformative change that seek to meaningfully engage men and boys to challenge negative notions of masculinity and promote healthy, gender equitable relationships.
