BBC Reports: Women Working on Lipton's Tea Farms in Kenya Allegedly Being Coerced Into Sexual Relations With Managers.
Earlier this week, the BBC released the results of an undercover investigation into allegations of sexual abuse at tea farms in Kenya, where two companies based in the United Kingdom were implicated.
During a BBC Africa Eye/Panorama documentary, reporters spoke with 100 women who work on tea plantations for well-known companies.The BBC reported online that "more than 70 women on Kenyan tea fields, owned for years by two British corporations, told the BBC they had sexually been mistreated by supervisors."
A Kenyan plantation owned by UK-based consumer goods giant Unilever and another owned by tea company James Finlay & Co. were the subjects of the documentary.
According to the BBC's interviews with a purported "dozens" of victims, those targeted felt they had no choice but to comply with their superiors' sexual demands or risk losing their jobs. Several became pregnant, and one was allegedly infected with HIV by her boss.
A 14-year-old girl working and living on one of the plantations has accused a supervisor of rape. Meanwhile, covert footage revealed that regional leaders tried to sexually harass a BBC correspondent. As reported by AFP, Unilever expressed "great dismay" at the claims made in the BBC documentary.
The organisation mentioned in a subsequent statement that it focused their efforts for a long time on ending sexual and gender-based violence against women in the tea sector. These include increasing the representation of women in leadership roles, modernising the procedure for addressing complaints, and stepping up education and awareness campaigns.
"We are very disappointed that the measures put in place to make it easier to report, detect and investigate abuse failed to detect and address the issues highlighted by the BBC," Unilever said.
Lipton Teas and Infusions, which is now owned by a private equity consortium, was "shocked and dismayed" to hear the allegations, according to CEO Nathalie Roos.
Following the allegations, "we immediately suspended the managers at the centre of the allegations and launched a full independent investigation," Roos said in a statement to AFP. "We will take the most stringent action if this inquiry, which is still ongoing, finds any evidence of wrongdoing."
"As a woman and a new CEO of the tea market leader, I am taking a determined approach to making a meaningful difference for people across the industry, including women's safety, which is particularly close to my heart."
As a result of the "deeply shocking" nature of the claims, James Finlay & Co has suspended two persons mentioned in the documentary. Moreover, it has begun its own investigation.
For James Finlay Kenya's managing director, Finlays Group's James Woodrow, the revelation of sexual exploitation is "deeply shocking." Sexual abuse and harassment have no place in Finlays Group's business.
For a total of 4.5 billion euros ($4.8 billion), Unilever sold its global tea business to CVC Capital Partners last year. This included the well-known tea brands Lipton and PG Tips. Currently sold under the Lipton Teas and Infusions brand name.