Rid city markets of sexual predators to protect traders

Business, regardless of size, provides an avenue along which women can empower themselves and achieve financial freedom. It offers an opportunity to generate incomes for families, groups of people, or even communities.

For many Kenyans, especially those living in urban areas, small business is the most readily available economic activity in the face of high unemployment rates.

The so-called mama mboga operate at the bottom of the pecking order and rely on their daily sales for subsistence. The last thing they want is a hindrance to their progress, much less when it also belittles them and causes psychological trauma.

Women in business, by and large, outnumber their male counterparts in markets across the country. Therefore, their ventures contribute significantly to the national economy and towards gender equality. This means a safe environment for their operations is crucial.

But are our markets safe? Concerns raised by some women traders in Nairobi about their mistreatment by county officials and some “local men” paints a grim picture.

The cases coming to light cast doubt on the measures put in place to protect women in public trading areas against gender-based violence.

The prevailing situation is one that must be reversed as soon as possible, to stop rolling back the gains made in boosting their economic fortunes. It has the potential to leave many of them out of business, thus posing far-reaching ramifications, not just to them but to their families and the country at large.

The traders cite sexual violence as a constant threat to their endeavours.  Some officials demand that they pay “business protection fee,” without which they are subjected to sexual violence. They can no longer tolerate it.

Campaigns against sexual violence require all hands on deck as it can happen to anyone: a family member, friend, colleague, you name it. However, the county government, as the custodian of the facilities, has a higher level of responsibility.

Sexual exploitation is a serious rights violation. Even though it is not a new problem, it is unfortunate and disheartening that it still causes havoc in the capital in this day and age.

You don’t need to be a victim to feel its sting. It is degrading and humiliating, holds victims back, and limits their economic growth. At worst, it ruins lives.

While the county government has launched investigations and promised to act, it must do more and go beyond the gimmicks typical of our public officers.

Besides reining in the rogue officials and ensuring they are prosecuted, the county must create proper structures within the markets, fully equipped to fight all forms of gender-based violence.

Such structures would have a deterrent effect and ensure no one runs roughshod over innocent Kenyans who are toiling to support themselves and their families. No one should exploit another person’s vulnerability for self-fulfilment.

When victims are assured of support systems, they will be willing to report. And the more they speak up the easier it becomes to tackle the problem.

To this end, the county government should work closely with the traders’ welfare groups, police and rights organisations on prevention and response.

This should further involve sensitising market users to their rights, and target men so that they respect the women. Rights awareness is the first step towards justice.

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