Homa Bay is an impoverished town in remote western Kenya that boasts a strong tradition in fish consumption. Years of unsustainable fishing practices have rapidly depleted Lake Victoria's fish populations, resulting in biodiversity loss and pressing social issues.
As fishes become scarce, food access conflicts arise. “Sex for fish" (jaboya in Kiswahili) is a common phenomenon in which market ladies engage in sexual relations with fishermen to secure a regular supply of fish. As fishermen often travel between towns, transmissions of sexual diseases are common: HIV rates have been estimated to be around 20%, the highest prevalence rate in Kenya. Teenage pregnancies (33%) are nearly twice the national average.
Jaboya encompasses a problem with power, not culture. “We need to stop giving women the responsibility of solving the problem," says Betty Okero, a human rights advocate for CSO Network based in Kisumu. "How can we get men to take accountability to balance out the power dynamics? Besides, in every line of business, special relations develop between buyers and sellers––appropriate or otherwise––it’s part of the nuance.”
