Concerns raised on sexual exploitation of women in Siaya gold mines

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

In some areas, they noted that women are denied work unless they submit to sexual demands, describing the abuses as gender-based violence rooted in poverty, power imbalances, and state neglect.

The legislators condemned the normalization of exploitation under the guise of culture or poverty, insisting that what is happening in mining communities must be recognized as sexual violence.

They called on the Siaya County Government to acknowledge the crisis, establish gender protection frameworks, provide survivor-centred reporting and support services. At the national level, they urged the government to regulate artisanal mining, enforce sexual offences laws, and integrate women’s safety into mining policies.

Law enforcement agencies were also challenged to act swiftly on reports of abuse, hold perpetrators accountable regardless of influence, and increase patrols in mining hotspots.

The women leaders stressed that the exploitation of women in mining communities is not just a women’s issue but a human rights crisis. They pledged to use legislative and advocacy tools to expose abuse and demand accountability.