"I raised my health issues with my supervisor and was only excused for a month. However, they replaced with another employee," she said.
Magdalene, another worker, said women are regarded as unproductive in the tea industry and locked out of jobs. "Women are seen to abscond duties whenever they experience menstruation or go on maternity leave and attend to their families."
Rape and sexual abuse incidents in tea-growing belts in Nandi East have been on the rise and the county health department has raised concerns.
Data from last year indicated that over 3,000 teenage pregnancies were reported between 2021 and 2022. As a result, Alice (not her real name), a single mother, said young mothers are forced to engage in various economic activities to support their families.
"Job opportunities for women are becoming limited in the tea industry. I was forced to hook up with a string of men to get money to buy food and pay school fees for my children. It is unfortunate to say that I turned to prostitution," she confessed.
Alice said she dropped out of school in 2014, at the age of 17, after being impregnated by a man she met in one of the tea estates.
Sarah Kosgei, a Maendeleo ya Wanawake leader in Nandi, acknowledged the challenges facing women in the tea industry, saying high poverty rates are to blame.
Women's empowerment
"We have advocated for women's empowerment and protection of their rights. They should be given equal opportunity and ensure they handle criminal cases against women in places of work," she said.
KPAWU National Secretary Eliakim Ochieng said the number of women in multinational companies has dropped by 40 per cent, claiming the firms' management are "deliberately focused to reduce women workers".
Kenya Tea Growers Association (KTGA) Secretary Apollo Kiarie acknowledged that women are fewer in the sector, accounting for 35 per cent of over 20,000 workers, but dismissed the claims of discrimination.
"The companies are under KTGA and human resource management is sensitive to gender issues. Men and women enjoy equal rights," said Mr Kiarie.