KWFT Set to Empower Fish Mongers
Kenya Women Finance Trust is set to embark on a study on the challenges facing women who buy fish from the shores of Lake Victoria for sale in various outlets. It is said that the women get exploited by the fishermen and that, to obtain fish, they are forced to offer their bodies, thereby exposing themselves to contracting HIV/Aids.
KWFT has received a grant from Ford Foundation to undertake the study for purposes of understanding the problems the women fishmongers face and finding innovative solutions to deal with these challenges.
Health, Dr. Jennifer Riria, KWFT CEO asserts, is a human right that should not be compromised even as women go about the business of economically empowering their families. There is need to protect women's health, she insists.
"We are positioning women as the entry point for the empowerment of the family," she explains. "But we realize that, other than finance, they have other needs that must be addressed for them to lead better lives. "Our role as a financial institution serving women is to ensure that women perform their roles efficiently without manipulation or exploitation," says Dr. Riria.
KWFT believes it is not right that women suffer in the process of seeking economic resources. |
