Kenyan gospel singer under fire for victim blaming
A Kenyan gospel singer is under fire for saying women working in the Middle East are to blame for being mistreated as they often sleep with their employers.
Jimmy Gait was a guest on K24 TV – talking about putting together his latest album when he revealed he also ran a job placement agency, helping young people get work in the Middle East.
He was asked by the presenter to comment on accounts about women being abused by their employers in the Middle East.
Gait dismissed such concerns, saying: “The number one reason why these girls get mistreated is indiscipline… They go sleeping with people’s husbands, they get caught and they face the repercussions.”
He went further to suggest that men never had such problems: “Here’s the thing, the reason you don’t get to hear men being mistreated is because, they do not go sleeping with the bosses’ wives.”
Kenyans on social media have expressed their dismay at the singer’s comments – and his name has been trending on Twitter.
They accuse him of victim blaming and shaming, an attitude that promotes rape culture.
Thousands of Kenyan women work in the Middle East as domestic workers, often lured with promises of large salaries.
They can face terrible conditions from which they are unable to escape as their passports are often confiscated by their employers.
Several years ago, the Kenyan government introduced new rules to protect these expatriate workers and requiring job agencies to submit regular reports.
BBC
