Women facing sexual abuse in matatus — report

How is it like to use matatu as a woman in Nairobi? The good is you get to your destination quickly.

But for majority of female commuters, it is another day of verbal, sexual and emotional abuse.

A new report says 80 per cent of women using matatu report this form of harassment, and it appears there is nothing they can do about it. 

The perpetrators are not considered to be doing anything wrong and there is a strong social expectation that good women should not create a scene by complaining.

Only a paltry seven per cent of women report the incidents, says the report, Women and Public Transport in Nairobi.

It was launched by UN Women, Kenyatta University and the Stockholm Environment Institute in Nairobi.

Little or no action is taken against the perpetrators.

“Only one per cent of the actions taken after incidents of harassment led to the perpetrators being apprehended,” UN Women deputy country representative Kenya Rukaya Mohammed said.

Women and Public Transport in Nairobi identifies the public transport needs of women and the obstacles they face in accessing and using public transport.

It aims to promote gender-responsive policymaking and influence decision-making towards gender equity in this essential service.

“Harassment, including sexual and emotional abuse while using public transport, may hinder women from accessing and fully exploiting economic opportunities and from providing or enjoying social services,” said Mohammed.

Transport PS Joseph Njoroge said public transport has perpetrated gender inequalities.

“Africa is the world’s fastest urbanising continent. However, the expansion of adequate transport infrastructure has not kept up with the growth of its cities. This has significant implications for gender inequality,” he said during the report launch last week.

The report says gender mainstreaming in urban transport infrastructure and services planning as well as provisioning is important as women and men’s transport needs and use patterns differ.

The findings highlight the need for measures to protect women commuters from continued victimisation or harassment by matatu conductors and fellow male passengers.

“Women commuters should be supported to report these incidents and survivors of sexual and gender-based violence in public transport provided with legal and psychosocial support,”  KU-WEE Hub leader Prof Judith Waudo said.

The report is the culmination of efforts of UN Women, KU and SEI in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport, the National Transport and Road Safety Authority, and the Nairobi Metropolitan Area Transport Authority.

The study is part of a series in East Africa. The findings of a related study for Kampala were launched in early December.

-Edited by SKanyara