BOMET, Kenya -In the rolling green fields of Bomet, where thousands of families depend on tea farming for their livelihood, a quieter struggle has been unfolding—one that rarely makes headlines yet shapes the lives of women and children every day.
This year, at the launch of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV), survivors, community advocates, and government leaders gathered to confront a new layer of that struggle: the growing wave of digital violence that shadows women in the tea value chain.
For many women, the phones that help them access markets, connect with savings groups, and build professional networks have also become channels for abuse. Online harassment, cyberbullying, stalking, and the non-consensual sharing of personal information are becoming alarmingly common.
“Digital spaces must be safe and empowering, not arenas of intimidation and silencing,” said Lucy Chepng’eno, who represented Women in Tea CEO Beatrice Tonui.
Her words echoed the experiences of countless women whose voices often remain unheard, particularly when the harm they face happens through screens rather than in public view. But, the damage does not stop with the women themselves.
Chepng’eno shared a painful truth: the children of tea farmers are also affected. Growing up in environments where GBV occurs, whether physical or digital, can leave emotional scars.
“The children of tea farmers are affected mentally since these vices happen around them,” she noted.
These young witnesses often internalise fear, confusion, and trauma long before they can even name what they are experiencing. To address this, WITEVA has expanded its efforts to empower the youth by teaching them how to digitally report GBV in their surroundings, giving them not only a voice but a tool to break cycles of silence.
A powerful theme of the Bomet event was the call to rethink how GBV stories are told, especially within the media. Dr Tecla Tum, an Advisor on Gender Affairs in the Executive Office of the President, strongly condemned the rise of media bullying targeting women, as well as sensational coverage that shames survivors or trivialises their pain.
She emphasised that harmful reporting does not merely reflect societal attitudes—it reinforces them. Bad GBV stories, she warned, retraumatize victims, discourage reporting, normalise violence, shift focus from perpetrators to victims, and turn human suffering into spectacle.
“Communities and media alike must protect, empower, and uplift women, instead of exposing them to further harm,” Dr Tum said, calling for ethical storytelling that restores dignity rather than strips it away.
During the launch, Dr Tum also offered tangible support to survivors by donating sanitary pads, mattresses, blankets, and clothing, gestures that bring immediate relief while signalling a long-term commitment to strengthening support systems. The broader message was that addressing GBV requires both emergency responses and structural change, including counselling, youth empowerment programs, reliable reporting channels, and stronger digital safety awareness.
Across the tea communities, the 16 Days of Activism served as a reminder that the fight against GBV is not a seasonal campaign but a daily, lived effort. Empowerment, as the speakers underscored, is not just about economic opportunity; it is deeply rooted in safety, dignity, and the freedom to live without fear.
“Empowerment is meaningful only when women can participate safely, speak freely, and thrive without fear, online and offline,” Chepng’eno said.
As the event drew to a close, the sense of unity and resolve among tea pickers, community leaders, youth groups, and government officials was unmistakable. In Bomet’s tea fields, a new narrative is emerging, one where women, children, and entire communities refuse to let silence protect violence.
In choosing courage, ethical storytelling, and digital empowerment, they are building a future where fear no longer defines their lives.
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