High food prices and red ink of income have emerged as the major concerns for woman working on blossom farms in Kenya . A rapid judgement of the result of COVID-19 by Hivos East AfricaWomen@Workindicates that intellectual nourishment security is a major business organisation mainly due to job loss and increasing nutrient Price .

by Caroline Wahome

The depth psychology further shows that whereas vegetable and yield farms revel a unfluctuating workload and consistent orders ( hence scarcely any business losses ) , flower farms have seen their hands reduced by 50 percent . The other one-half of staff has been either sent home on recreational farewell , or made to work on gyration basis and do twice the piece of work . The horticulture sector in Kenya is thus probably one of the bad hit by the coronavirus pandemic . It is Kenya ’s third large foreign exchange earner , and last twelvemonth alone contribute KES 120 billion to the country ’s gross domestic product . But now it is at less than 10 percent of its normal performance .

In one of the farm sampled there was a significant reduction of workers from 500 to 180 , with close to 100 permanent worker being among those sent on unpaid farewell . to boot , on only four out of 12 farms try out have employer retained their entire workforce as the effects of COVID-19 fury on . For some of these farms , the determination to retain worker was the result of dialog between company direction and the Kenya Plantation and Agricultural Workers Union ( KPAWU ) . They agree on a rotational docket of two hebdomad of paid work and two weeks of recreational leave .

marginalisation of womenDoing more work for less remuneration ( report in eight of the 12 farms try out ) has led to an increment in the number of employees off sick , with woman report higher fatigue and focus stratum as they survive in constant fear of termination . “ I find torture both mentally and physically . It is like life has turn upside down . I am doing more than double the body of work I used to do . And yet when I go back home , my tyke need my full attention , ” tell one of the interviewees .

Further , patriarchal insistence on maintaining sexuality character has compounded the marginalisation of women . The indebtedness to do domestic task , child care and homeschooling is leave women overwhelmed and foiled . A majority of workers interviewed ( 83 percent ) report an increase in care - work , tension at study and a sensation of fiscal insufficiency . This combination is straining women ’s family sexual relation as they find themselves too worn-out to properly mesh after a surd solar day ’s workplace . domesticated violence is a decipherable risk for them .

Positive outlookKey industry players in the supply mountain range , Fairtrade andWaitrose Foundation , have committed to endorse worker with monthly immediate payment payments and intellectual nourishment packages , severally , to buffer them from the current hardship . The money will be drawn from the Fairtrade agiotage ( a communal investment trust for workers and Farmer * ) from May 2020 for an unspecified stop of time .

Some farm have expanded the sorting area and employ extra autobus to transport worker in conformity with social distancing measures . One of the farm has introduced night shift to deal with the nightfall to dawn curfew for its packing workers . It also come forth that one fellowship had introduce a variety show of breeds on their farms for reach Modern markets .

style forwardThe fate of hundreds of workers sent home on volunteer leave in March and April 2020 remains unreadable . The study recommends expanding COVID-19 societal safety last programs for vulnerable workers who have lost their Job . Or for those in low income and perilous utilisation , such as the horticulture sphere .

The government needs to govern the prices of food and other essential goods to ensure gain are only triggered by normal provision and requirement force , not price manipulation .

Thirdly , the government should urgently roll out hatful testing for the horticultural and other dumbly populated sphere . This should let in free personal protective equipment ; liberal quarantine service for those who have tested positive and free health care for worker who fall sick , disregarding of their employment terms .

Further , the government should also ensure normalisation of sanitization equipment to foreclose employer from purchasing substandard materials that may further scupper workers to contracting the coronavirus .

A copy of the Rapid Assessment determination can bedownloaded here .

  • The Fairtrade Premium is an additional inwardness of money paid on top of the selling price , which Fannie Farmer or workers invest in projects of their choice .

For more informationHivoswww.hivos.org