Study: Domestic workers suffer worse sexual harassment
A woman cleaning house furniture. A new study says domestic workers in Kenya are roughly four times more likely to face sexual harassment at the workplace.
What you need to know:
- The 2022 Domestic Worker Survey says domestic workers in Kenya are roughly four times more likely to face sexual harassment at the workplace.
- Study by SweepSouth, a South African on-demand home services provider was conducted between May 4th and 16th, 2022.
Domestic workers in Kenya are roughly four times more likely to face sexual harassment at the workplace, a new study has found.
The 2022 Domestic Worker Survey featuring Kenya and South Africa, sampled at least 1,000 out of which seven per cent reported to have been sexually harassed.
The study by SweepSouth, a South African on-demand home services provider was conducted between May 4th and 16th, 2022. The questions were sent out via text message, WhatsApp and the organisation's survey platform.
In Kenya, sexual harassment is a criminal offence. Clause 23 of the Sexual Offences Act (2006) prohibits any person in authority or holding a public office from making sexual advances or requests. Such a person is liable to a minimum three-year jail term or penalty of not less than Sh100,000
The Act further criminalises other forms of sexual harassment such as sexual assault, attempted rape and indecent acts. These offences attract a five to a 10-year jail term.
Technology-supported solutions
The authors recognise that while enforcing legislation, protecting domestic workers is the way to go, regulating work in private homes is difficult.
To counter the challenge, they propose that the government develops technology-supported solutions.
This way, they would facilitate compliance among domestic workers and their employees.
“Governments should look at a set of incentives for compliance, such as tax incentives and easy sign-up stations at locations easily accessible to domestic workers and their employers,” they propose.
They criticise the government for ‘lip service’ in response to tackling the sexual harassment domestic workers suffer at the hands of their employers, yet the effects are destructive and long-term.
Previous investigations by this writer established that domestic workers who have persevered the violence, have ended up with post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.
The authors recommend educating all stakeholders on spotting and reporting the violation.
Not ratified
“Education campaigns need to be intensified to educate others on how to spot abuse and help survivors, abusers, police officers, and society at large as to what constitutes abuse,” the authors say.
During this year’s Domestic Workers Day, Kenya called on the government to ratify the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention promoting the protection of their rights.
Article 3 of the Domestic Workers Convention adopted by the General Conference of ILO in 2011, requires Member States to “take measures to ensure the effective promotion and protection of the human rights of all domestic workers.”
It is the 189th ILO Convention hence, commonly referred to as C189. Kenya has, however, not ratified this convention going by ILO’s updated list of conventions and protocols not ratified by the country.
