How to Deal with Harassment as a Female Business Owner in Kenya

Or, you have just opened your DMs, anticipating customer orders, and are met with “Hi, gorgeous” messages, along with other suggestive texts 😬.

Sometimes, it could be your employer paying you less than the men you work with, even though you all do the same job😠!

By Naomi Muthoni

https://mesh.life/reels/how...

Unfortunately, many female business owners in Kenya experience harassment regularly, regardless of whether they are running their businesses online or offline. Below are a few tips that can help you deal with it.

Most times hua tunaambiwa, vitu kama harassment zikikufanyikia unafaa kureport police station ama to the authorities kwa workspace yako.

Lakini, the unfortunate truth is, Kenya has broken systems that often fail to protect women 💔.

Regardless, lazima tujiprotect juu hustle lazima iendelee ndio tuweze kujiinua kimaisha na kuinua jamii! 💪🏾

So, here are a few tips that can help you and other women in business safeguard yourselves against harassment.

Peer support groups ni groups of people who have the same experiences—think of them like your usual chama, where women from the same neighborhood/business location come together to support each other.👩🏽

Ikikuja kwa story ya harassment, peer support groups ni “chamas” with other women that will help you protect yourself against harassment—mkiwa 10 ama 20 women 🗣️🗣️ calling attention to a harassment issue, mko likely kuskika compared to ukiwa pekee yako 🗣️. There is strength in numbers!

Wewe na your fellow business women, can form a peer support group for your area ama mnaweza join existing groups, kama the Women in Business Chapter of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce, which advocate for the protection of women against harassment.

In your local groups, you can create safe spaces (kwa market, business center, ama workspace) where women who have been harassed can share their experiences. In such settings, watu wanaweza fungua roho, and the group members can discuss possible solutions pamoja. ❤️‍🩹

Kama unaweza, record kila kitu! 🤳🏾 If you can’t record a video, try record an audio. If not, take a picture of the person harassing you.

Kama ni online harassment, screenshot, or screen record. Evidence is important because it can help you build a case against them.

And even if you don’t take them to court, recording the harasser can scare them and make them change their actions.

However, ni important kuelewa that si kila saa utaweza kurecord, especially if the person harassing you amekukaribia. In such cases, recording may be dangerous because it can make them angry, and they can get violent.

So, kama unataka kutumia technology kujiprotect, you must pick your moments wisely! 🤔

If you have been harassed and the formal or legal channels have not worked for you, involve community elders and respected community figures waingilie hio story. Such people can pressure your harasser to stop harassing you.

Another alternative ni, kama harasser wako ni mtu anajulikana, you can organize boycotts za products, services, ama biashara yake through peer groups or social media platforms.

If they want to ruin your hustle by harassing you, it is fair for you to fight back by messing with their money, too! Aura for aura. 🥷🏾

In some cases, harassment can go to extremes and leave you injured ama feeling unsafe.

Times kama hizo, unahitaji emergency contacts wale unaweza pigia for immediate assistance. Some of the organizations you can contact are:

📞GBV Hotline - 1195 (Free to call)

📞FIDA-Kenya Legal AID - +254 709 760000

📞Usikimye - 0800 000 999 (Free to call)

Kama umekua harassed and the police report you made does not seem to be effective (hakuna hatua imechukuliwa against the person who harassed you), you can take a different legal approach.

For example, unaweza contact public interest lawyers, ama legal aid organizations kama Federation of Women Lawyers Kenya (FIDA-Kenya), na Kituo Cha Sheria. They can help you pursue a case in court or draft a “letter before action” (barau inambia the person harassing you utampeleka kotini).

Hii approach inaweza kusaidia upate justice through Kenya’s legal system, especially if the harassment case is extreme and documented. Alternatively, inawezafanya mwenye anakuharass aachane na wewe akishapata the “letter before action” juu anaogopa kupelekwa mbele.

Kenya does not currently have ideal systems that keep women safe. However, as we continue to advocate for better policies that safeguard us against harassment, we must protect ourselves and support each other as women in business.🥷🏾🫂

Ukiwa huko nje, be your sister’s keeper. 🫱🏾‍🫲🏿 Call out harassers, 📢 hata kama si wewe unadhulumiwa. Don’t be silent! Silence is complicity.🗣️

Lakini, at the end of the day, we at MESH see you and understand your struggle.🫂 We applaud you for showing up to your hustle against the odds! 👏🏾 Wewe ni shujaa! 🦸🏾

Kama kuna point imekubamba, like 👍🏾, comment 💭, and share 🔁.

Alafu, hua unajiprotect aje from harassment as a female business owner in Kenya? 🤔

Keep the conversation going.💬