In 2024, the Ethical Tea Partnership (ETP) led and commissioned a study to examine how three tea-producing companies (Lipton Tea and Infusions, Browns Plantation Kenya and Lujeri), previously exposed to systemic Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (SEAH), responded to the issue and the measures they implemented to protect workers from further harm. The project was jointly undertaken by Claire Lynch Consulting (CLC) and Partner Africa and resulted in a report with actionable insights for industry stakeholders on preventing and addressing SEAH.
Auditors and certification schemes remain important to meet responsible sourcing commitments, especially in identifying immediate health and safety risks and issues related to underpayments or excessive hours. However, within the scope of an audit, it is difficult to identify more sensitive issues, such as those related to gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH) or discrimination. This is especially true for industries where women are particularly vulnerable, such as the tea industry, where there are precarious working conditions, and great power imbalances along the supply chain. In 2023, several Kenyan tea estates were exposed for systemic sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (SEAH) despite numerous social compliance audits.
Hierarchical management structures concentrate excessive authority in middle-management roles, fostering abuse of power.
Existing policies were often inconsistently implemented, and grievance mechanisms lacked trust.
Excessive authority in middle management, combined with weak oversight and difficulty in disciplining perpetrators, creates an environment where SEAH goes unchecked.
Workers lack trust in grievance mechanisms due to fear of retaliation, confidentiality concerns, and inconsistent handling of SEAH cases, making reporting unsafe and ineffective.
Ineffective and influenced worker committees fail to advocate for employees, undermining trust and leaving SEAH concerns unaddressed.
Power imbalances, lack of transparency, and weak worker voice create an environment of fear, discouraging SEAH reporting and accountability.
Without strong senior management accountability and a culture of gender equality, SEAH remains unaddressed, as leadership prioritises incident reduction over transparency.
Poverty and job insecurity increased workers’ dependence on employers, making them more susceptible to SEAH.
Low tea prices limit producers’ ability to address SEAH, while inadequate legal systems and lack of survivor support allow abuses to persist unchecked.
Gender inequalities and entrenched stereotypes normalised SEAH, discouraging reporting.
Partner Africa and CLC studied the crisis response mechanisms of the three companies that faced public exposure for SEAH in their operations. The research identified ten critical success factors for responding to SEAH in their businesses. These factors are also applicable to businesses facing other sensitive human rights allegations.
The tea industry must recognise SEAH as a critical human rights risk requiring systemic solutions. While crisis management is essential, sustainable change demands long-term cultural transformation, stronger governance and responsibility, and collaborative efforts across the supply chain. Companies that prioritise gender-responsive human rights due diligence play a critical role in shaping safer, more inclusive environments for tea workers. But there are other key takeaways as well: different actors in the tea supply chain need to collaborate to improve gender equality in leadership and decision-making, ensure worker voices are heard, and foster organisational change that challenges the status quo. Equally important is the need to critically examine the language used to communicate these issues, ensuring it does not unintentionally reinforce existing power dynamics or uphold the very status quo it aims to dismantle.
These recommendations align with Partner Africa’s experience addressing SEAH in other industries, highlighting the broader relevance of this research beyond the tea sector and across Africa.
This project demonstrates the importance of transparency, collaboration, and shared learning across the tea supply chain. By bringing together diverse actors, the research aims to help make tea estates more dignified and equitable workplaces for the many women they employ. We are grateful to ETP for commissioning this important research and for the opportunity to contribute to their ongoing efforts to promote more responsible business practices in tea.
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