Gender, rights and participation in the Kenya cut flower industry

Abstract

This empirical study of gender in value chains examines women and their employment in the growing fresh cut flower industry in Kenya. The study examines how recent changes in codes for labor standards have improved the working situation for women employed in the industry of fresh cut flowers, but also concludes that more needs to be done to reduce sexual harassment and add job security for women who become pregnant. The study also shows the potentially negative impact of top-down mandated codes for production standards. Specifically, when codes do not fit the working conditions, the cost of implementation is not absorbed by the producer but is rather passed onto the workers, effectively working against the type of ideals such codes attempt to create. The research advocates a participatory code-making process to assure that the needs of the women workers are best met by new standards.