Women Leaders Decry Sexual Exploitation in Siaya Artisanal Gold Mines

By : Mweru Mbugua 

Female members of the Siaya County Assembly have raised alarm over what they describe as widespread sexual harassment and exploitation of women in artisanal gold mining areas across the county

Led by South East Alego Ward MCA Scolastica Madowo, the women’s caucus said widows and single mothers struggling to make ends meet are being coerced into sexual relationships by men who control access to mining shafts and gold-bearing stones

The leaders reported that in some mining zones, women are denied work opportunities unless they comply with sexual demands. They described the abuses as a form of gender-based violence driven by poverty, power imbalances, and prolonged state neglect of informal mining communities

The legislators condemned what they termed the normalization of exploitation under the guise of culture or economic hardship, insisting that the violations must be recognized and addressed as sexual violence

They called on the Siaya County Government to formally acknowledge the crisis, establish strong gender protection frameworks, and provide survivor-centred reporting mechanisms and support services

At the national level, they urged the government to regulate artisanal mining, enforce sexual offences laws, and mainstream women’s safety in mining policies

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Law enforcement agencies were also challenged to respond swiftly to reported cases, hold perpetrators accountable regardless of their influence, and increase patrols in known mining hotspots

The women leaders emphasized that exploitation in mining communities is not merely a women’s issue but a broader human rights crisis. They pledged to use legislative and advocacy avenues to expose the abuses and push for accountability and justice for affected women