I was told I'm too beautiful to vie for matatu workers union seat - ex-tout

Women working in the matatu industry do not have it easy.

They go through numerous hurdles that often require them to grow a thick skin in order to survive in the male-dominated industry.

But even after gaining toughness, the struggle still continues as they try to scale their way up the career ladder

For 44-year-old Naomi Njeri, the journey from being a conductor to being the Vice-Chairperson of the Women In Transport association has been one of the most difficult in her life.

Njeri left an abusive marriage to start a new life with her two sons as a conductor for Nairobi’s Umoinner Sacco.

"I walked into Umoinner Sacco's offices and begged them to take me on as a driver. They looked at me, saw my desperation, and decided to take me on as a conductor instead," she recalled.

She was speaking at the 4th Women and Transport Africa Conference organised by the Flone Initiative on Wednesday at the Royal Tulip Caanan.

Njeri worked as a conductor for the Sacco for years and gained popularity in the matatu industry.

Many women and girls sought her help to join the industry as well so she decided to take up the duty of representing women's rights in the sector.

She decided to vie for a seat as a union representative for women at the Matatu Workers Union with the support of her fellow women in transport across the country, carrying out numerous campaigns across the country.

She however faced backlash from her male colleagues, including the ones who were her friends.

“I received death threats from goons sent to scare me into not vying. In fact, a few male colleagues went as far as telling me that I was too beautiful to be elected into the union,” she said.

They claimed that she would confuse the men in the union.

To add to her disappointment, the elections did not fall through and she felt all her campaign efforts and finances had gone down the drain.

“I fell into depression and I wanted nothing to do with the industry but later, I realised that it was my calling to help women in the sector so I kept ongoing,” she said.

Till today, she aspires to be a member of that union.

Linnet Kerubo was also thrust into the matatu industry by circumstances in her life.

She was a single mother of two at the age of 16 and she was eager to find a job to keep her children fed.

She worked as a stage attendant for years and when she fell pregnant with her third child, she was forced to stay home to get some recommended bed rest.

As the industry is very informal, Kerubo said that she had no maternity leave, paid or unpaid so staying home was regarded as quitting the job.

“They replaced me with someone else because the job is very demanding. There was no hope of returning to work after having my baby so I began to look for another job as I waited to give birth,” she said.

In a survey done by Flone Initiative in October of the transport sector in Machakos County, it was found that informal and casual working arrangements are most common in the industry.

"Less than ten percent of workers have formal and long-term contractual engagements with their employers," read the report.

Kerubo eventually found a new job as a Stage Manager at a Nairobi Matatu stage after having her baby and she had to bring the baby to work with her so as to secure the job.

But women working in transport in the Corporate sector still face difficulties in doing their jobs.

Irene Nyamwaya, a Teachers Service Commission driver, recalled the difficulty she faced at the beginning of her employment.

“I started out as a PSV driver before I found a job with TSC. I was chosen among many men for the position and I am so lucky to have gotten it because there is a lot of discrimination of women drivers,” she said.

Due to the long and odd working hours as a PSV driver, her marriage suffered a blow as her spouse did not like her working late and neglecting her home.

“I had to end the marriage because the relationship became strained,” she said.

She also experienced several occasions of sexual harassment from male colleagues and passengers.

It is not a hidden fact that sexual harassment is rampant in the Matatu sector.

Flone’s Machakos survey also found that 46 percent of female workers have experienced sexual harassment at work at some point in time.

The most common is inappropriate physical contact and most fail to report due to a lack of clear complaints mechanisms.

Women who start out in the industry usually hope that they can one day buy their own vehicles and be owners instead of stage attendants, touts, or drivers.

But with all these challenges, it is very easy to feel discouraged and give up on their dreams.

Njeri, Kerubo, and Irene are all examples of resilient women in the industry.

Njeri encouraged women not to shy away from joining the industry as she and her sisters in the industry are working hard to ensure there is a place for them as well.