BY MANUEL ODENY

Women in Awendo sub-county in Migori are living in fear of sexual and gender based abuse, especially rape as abuser lurk in sugarcane plantations.

Among those with highest hot spots are centers around government miller Sony Sugar Company nuclear plantations like Mariwa in South Sakwa ward.

A group of local women drawn through the Women Collective Kenya have been working with nearby schools, boda boda riders, security and local leaders to try and address the plight.

The groups said last year they recorded 8 cases of rape with two cases reported already this year with a woman raped and another chased as she left a market, but managed to escape her assailants a fortnight before the interview.

The group has also recorded 16 cases of teen pregnancies caused by the menace in the area.

Mercy Ingasia Owino, the Migori county coordinator for Women Collective Kenya told Nyanza News that women and girls have been living in morbid fear of passing through sugarcane plantations.

“We are often afraid when accessing markets, schools or places where we draw water and generally when we walk through sugar plantations because sex pests are waylaying women,” Owino said.

She said women often witness many cases and those reported are from women who try to come out for fear of stigma.

“We have seen challenges of reporting cases to police because of low speed of investigations and cases of Kangaroo courts where families choose to settle the mater outside court, we are dealing with three such cases,” Owino said.

Mary Cynthia an official at Women Collective Kenya said women and girls are often afraid of walking alone.

“We have been working with partners to help secure our paths and we call on Sony Sugar company to often place occassional patrols and work with community alongside police to curb the menace,” she said.

The two said they have talked to schools in the areas to ensure when sending children to or from schools they ensure they do so at the correct time, ensure students walk in groups and alert parents to monitor their movements.

Collins Ouma, an elder said as men they have worked closely with boda boda riders and taxi drivers in Awendo town to be their eyes in curbing the menace.

“Through their stages and officials we are keen to ensure women and girls ferried through plantations are known to weed out pests from their midst and also for them to work as our lookout and response incase of alarms,” Ouma said.

He also pointed out that security lights in centers around the sugar belt should be maintained to boost security.

“We have markets that end only late in the night and we need to boost security, we also called on our elected leaders to help us speak out against the vice,” Ouma added.