Naomi Mwaura A feminist reimagining of Kenyas public transport TED Fellows
[SHAPE YOUR FUTURE]
In Kenya, buses are commonly
known as “matatus.”
They’re everywhere –
and I mean everywhere.
And they form a very crucial part
of Kenyans' urban life.
They’re fun, colorfully painted buses
with graffiti that depicts
what is going on in Kenya
and the world at large.
They’re informal and affordable ways
for Kenyans to get around
and are used by the vast majority
as the main mode of transportation.
But they have a couple of flaws.
They can be a bit too loud,
drive on the wrong side of the road
to avoid traffic
and can be inaccessible for women,
children and people with disabilities.
Back in the 90s, my family
was in the matatu business
and ran a popular graffiti matatu
called “Gridlock’d.”
“Gridlock’d” was an American
black comedy film
starring the popular rapper Tupac Shakur.
My uncles loved Tupac, and as a result,
I can still sing along
to most of his songs.
Seven years ago, I stepped into
the family business,
and I brought a twist with me –
a feminist perspective.
And this is what informs this perspective:
women all over the world face sexual
harassment while using public transport.
In Kenya, 88 percent of women
have experienced harassment
while using public transportation.
Unfortunately, we Kenyans are not alone.
In a 2014 study conducted in the US,
public transportation was
the second-most common place
for street harassment.
This percentage is even higher
in Cairo, Egypt,
where a whopping 95 percent of women
have experienced harassment
while using public transportation.
This percentage ranges all over the world,
but there’s not a single transport system
where women do not face
this type of harassment.
This leads to a massive
financial loss for women,
more commute time as they try
to avoid dangerous routes,
and eventually, they drop out of a system
that isn’t built for them
and doesn’t cater to their travel needs.
So instead of women using affordable
and environmentally sustainable
public transportation
to work, school and social events,
they use their hard-earned
and saved monies
on safer but much more expensive
means of transportation
that leaves them out of building savings
to ensure financial independence.
I cringe when newspaper headlines read,
“Let’s get rid of matatus,”
because millions of commuters
would be stranded
and thousands of youths unemployed.
They say, “The system doesn’t work.
Let’s get rid of it.”
But I say no.
We have a lot to work with,
and we need to put in the work.
For the past seven years,
we’ve worked with over 1,000+
public transport operators,
2,000 transport stakeholders
and over 150 women professionals
in the industry.
The interventions that have yielded great
impact are driven by research findings
and working with public
transport organizations
to change the existing systems.
One way we are doing this
is by offering trainings
on how to improve commuter experience.
For example, it used to be that buses
would unexpectedly change their route
either to avoid traffic
or the police,
and women would find themselves
in totally unknown neighborhoods.
But now, buses are required
to display their route map,
fare charts
and contact details of how and whom
to report any incidences.
We’ve also been actively recruiting
and shining a spotlight
on women professionals
working in the industry
so more women can join.
When more women work in the industry,
they are in positions to make changes.
So we’ve created a community,
and an active network
of women professionals working
in the Nairobi metropolitan area
who meet regularly and attend
professional development courses.
Women who are joining the industry
have a real voice now.
We have a stronger network,
more and more expertise,
and more money is being put into
researching gender-based violence
that plagues women
as they go about their day.
So instead of getting rid of matatus,
let’s understand travel habits.
Let’s train on how to improve
commuter experience.
Let’s change behavior.
Let’s train on and adopt
sexual harassment policies,
and let’s hire a more diverse workforce.
Just like myself and my family,
I believe public transportation can be
the preferred mode of transport
and workplace for millions of Kenyans.