In Kenya, dozens of women testify to sexual violence in a documentary
A woman harvests tea leaves on a plantation in Kericho (illustrative image).
Getty Images/The Image Bank/Christopher Pillitz
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
British BBC television has collected around a hundred testimonies from women working on tea plantations in Kericho, in the west of the country.
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With our correspondent in Nairobi,
Albane Thirouard
More than 70 women denounced having been victims of sexual exploitation and claimed to have had no choice but to give in to their boss's advances to obtain or keep their jobs.
One of them says she was infected with HIV, while others became pregnant.
An official is also accused of raping a 14-year-old girl who lived on one of the plantations.
Since the publication of these revelations on Monday, the reactions are linked.
The testimonies of the women presented
in the documentary
provoked emotion and indignation.
On Twitter, Kenyans are calling for justice.
The Ministry of Labor has just announced that it has launched an investigation and takes the accusations “
very seriously
”.
They represent, according to the press release, "
a violation of the law and of workers' rights
".
The public prosecutor also ordered the police to open an investigation.
The case went to Parliament.
The Association of Women Parliamentarians in particular condemns “
the culture of rape which reigns in certain Kericho tea plantations
”.
And asks that the alleged attackers be brought to justice.
The organization insists on the need for “
zero tolerance
” for cases of sexual harassment.
While reminding the targeted multinationals of their responsibility to uphold the human rights of their employees.
The documentary points the finger at two British firms: Lipton Teas and Infusions (Unilever at the time of filming), and James Finlay.
The latter replied, saying that there was no place for this kind of behavior in the company.
And announced that it had dismissed two managers mentioned in the documentary.
The British High Commissioner to Kenya, Jane Marriott, also reacted to the BBC revelations.
On Twitter, she said she was "
worried by the accusations of appalling behavior made in the documentary
", recalling that "
abuse and sexual exploitation have no place in our society
".
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