We are aware of allegations being brought forward by the joint BBC Africa Eye and Panorama documentary, “Sex for Work: The True Cost of Our Tea”, in relation to human rights violations, including sexual harassment and violence, at tea estates in Kenya.
We take allegations of this nature extremely seriously. Whilst we do not comment on individual cases, ETP adopts a zero-tolerance approach to any abuses of human rights.
ETP believes that in a socially just tea industry, everyone is empowered, safe, and ensured equal opportunities at home, in their communities, and at work.
ETP will continue to work with any organisation in the tea sector that is committed to eliminating such abuses from their operations and supply chains and we believe that our members must take responsibility for their supply chain. Many stakeholders have a role to play to address systemic deep-rooted issues that exist in tea – including companies, governments, unions, civil society, and ETP.
ETP seeks to work in partnership with companies who want to ensure their business policy and practices respect workers and protect the environment. ETP adopts a participatory approach and community development fora to ensure tea workers’ voices are heard. We seek to ensure that women and children have access to resources and opportunities; and we partner with organisations who share tried-and-tested approaches to tackle inequality in tea communities.
Notes
We have produced a factsheet about gender equality in Kenya, available here.
For more information or interview requests please contact: Brian Lainoff, Head of Communications, ETP, on press@etp-global.org.