Road to economic growth, gender parity

The WEE report is pivotal in the pursuit of sustainable development and gender equality, serving as a key pathway to achieving these goals.

It underscores the vital role of education and skills development in enabling women to actively participate in, control, and benefit from income-generating activities.

The report further illustrates that economically empowered women tend to play more active roles in household decision-making, influencing financial choices, which can lead to improved health and educational outcomes for their families and a reduction in gender-based violence. Moreover, benefits of economically empowering women extend beyond individual financial independence.

Their empowerment is linked to their ability to make informed decisions, exert greater bargaining power in financial matters, and influence household dynamics, leading to major improvements in their families' socio-economic conditions.

In Kenya, the importance of WEE transcends individual advancement and intertwines with national objectives of economic growth and societal well-being.

The Government of Kenya has demonstrated a strong commitment to advancing women's economic opportunities through robust policy frameworks.

Key findings by WEE related to Kenya highlight the connection between addressing gender gaps in education and labour market access and fostering inclusive economic growth.

The report asserts that effectively tackling these disparities could boost Kenya's GDP by up to 10 percent. However, it notes that challenges remain in translating these commitments into tangible economic outcomes for women.

Despite progress in legal frameworks and achieving educational parity, significant gender gaps in economic outcomes persist. Women continue to face systemic disadvantages in the labour market, with lower participation rates compared to men, especially in higher-quality jobs.

Another critical area is the gender pay gap, which stands at 38 percent, reflecting substantial economic disparities that persist despite educational advancements.

The report also points out the complex barriers women encounter during their transition from education to the labour market, including societal norms promoting early marriage and parenting, which often limit women's educational and economic opportunities. This underscores the need for comprehensive strategies to enhance their economic empowerment.

The report emphasises that economically empowered women can challenge and shift gender norms, reduce biases, and address critical issues such as gender-based violence.

This holistic understanding of women's economic empowerment is interconnected with various aspects of social and economic development. It also stresses the importance of using data for effective policy development.

Several key recommendations are outlined to enhance women's economic participation in Kenya, advocating a comprehensive and multisectoral approach.

Read: Women empowerment is happening, but much more remains to be done

Improving access to quality education for women, particularly in disadvantaged regions, is paramount. This involves addressing barriers preventing girls from completing their education and ensuring equitable and accessible educational opportunities for all.

Another crucial recommendation is to challenge and change prevailing social norms contributing to early marriages and teenage pregnancies.

This requires implementing strategies to shift parental and societal aspirations for girls, promote healthy relationships, and equip both boys and girls with the knowledge and resources to avoid unwanted pregnancies.

Addressing gender-based violence (GBV) is also critical for enhancing women's economic participation. The report calls for developing and implementing early interventions in schools and for out-of-school adolescents to prevent and respond to GBV, thereby creating a safer environment for women to fully engage in economic activities.

Additionally, it highlights the need to enhance economic opportunities for women by facilitating smoother transitions from school to work.

It advocates for the collection and analysis of high-quality sex-and-gender-disaggregated data, including information on vulnerable populations such as the poor, women in arid and semi-arid lands, and refugees.

This data is essential for crafting effective policies and tracking progress toward women's economic empowerment.

Creating pathways for women to enter and thrive in the labor market and promoting female leadership and representation across various sectors are also emphasized.

Lastly, promoting gender parity in leadership is highlighted as a vital recommendation. Encouraging and supporting the inclusion of women in leadership positions across various sectors can catalyze broader changes in organizational culture and practices.

While the Government of Kenya has laid a solid foundation through its commitment to advancing women's economic opportunities, much work remains to translate these policies into real, tangible outcomes.

The report underscores the multidimensional nature of women’s empowerment and its critical role in achieving gender equality and poverty reduction.

Kenya can empower women economically by addressing structural barriers, improving education, challenging social norms, enhancing economic opportunities, preventing gender-based violence, leveraging data for policy development, promoting gender parity in leadership, and fostering a prosperous society.

The writer is Kenya’s Ambassador to Belgium, Mission to the European Union, Organization of African Caribbean and Pacific States and World Customs Organisation.