Naomi Mwaura: A feminist reimagining of Kenya’s public transport | TED Fellows

110,597 views ・ 2021-06-09

TED


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