UN Women Kenya, in collaboration with Honda Kenya, has conducted training for 30 motorcycle taxi operators in safety riding and gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response.

The trainees, it was gathered, were selected from Kakuma town.

Data from the Gender Based Violence Recovery Centre  (GVRC) shows that one in three Kenyan women has experienced an episode of sexual violence before attaining the age of 18, while between 39 percent and 47 percent of Kenyan women experience GBV in their lifetime.

According to UN Women, the training sensitised the taxi drivers to the available GBV response services and locations where the services could be accessed across the Kakuma refugee camps.

The UN agency, in a statement, noted that motorcycle taxi operators are usually the first responders in the area due to the lack of availability of other forms of public transport, because the roads within the area are rough, making them unsuitable for most vehicles.

The UN Women Deputy Country Representative, Idil Absiye, encouraged the Kakuma Motorcycle Cooperative to provide more chance to female taxi operators given that motorcycle taxi is the only means of public transportation in the area.

During the safety riding training, UN Women’s partner on GBV response, International Rescue Committee (IRC), conducted a session to sensitize GBV referral pathways for motorcycle taxi drivers.

UN Women revealed that in Kenya, motorcycle taxi operators are a key link in the transportation of survivors of GBV to nearby health facilities.

Photo source: UN Women Africa