In culminating the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence (GBV), Collaborative Centre for Gender and Development (CCGD) East Africa Civil Society Organizations’ Forum (EACSOF) in partnership with International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) hosted a session with women in informal employment in Kibra on Wednesday, 08 November 2021.
The session was to find out the factors affecting young women economic empowerment and GBV including the effects of COVID-19, the response and referral pathways of GBV if any and identify areas of need/information/skill gaps which we can fill through capacity building, awareness creation.
The women were also sensitized on the different referral pathways especially in the Kibra context from different perspectives being as a child, young girl/boy as well as women. The women were encouraged to work with their area chiefs, Community Health Volunteers (CHVs), Nyumba Kumi officials, local Community Based Organizations (CBOs), police and health care centres. Cryspin Afifu of ICRW called for consideration of women in informal trade when it comes to policy formulation.
“In Kenya 83% of women are in the informal sector and these women need to be considered when it comes to policy formulations,” he said. Adding that women should earn their income and
livelihoods decently despite their choice of career/job.
The women traders of Kibra get their income from informal businesses such as hawking, hair dressing, mutumba (second hand clothes) business , groceries and bodaboda riding among others.
The women were also accorded an opportunity to share their experience and the challenges they experience in their business. They pointed out that COVID-19 had a negative effect to their businesses, leading to reduction in clientele base which resulted to them shutting down their businesses.
In regards to SGBV, the women requested for more sensitization around evidence preservation and witness protection, matrimonial and property Acts, men participation towards ending GBV among other topics.
“We would appreciate if Civil Society Organizations worked towards increasing shelters in Kibra, said Christine who is a business woman in Kibra selling products online.
According to Christine the increase of shelter will come in handy to ensure the survivors of SGBV are safe and close to where they are getting justice from.
The women were also sensitized about Jasiri Fund which is a survivor centred fund that facilitates GBV women survivors to rebuild their businesses after the traumatic experience.
