Absa Bank Kenya, in collaboration with the Executive Office of the President through the Women’s Rights Advisor and the Africa Guarantee Fund (AGF) has launched an initiative aimed at empowering 30,000 women entrepreneurs in Kakamega, Bungoma, and Vihiga counties.
This initiative, named Empower Her County Program, seeks to support women-led micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) by providing vital resources and training.
The Empower Her County Program addresses the significant gender disparities and economic challenges faced by women entrepreneurs.
During the launch event at Masinde Muliro University, Harriette Chiggai who is the President’s Women Rights Advisor, emphasized the importance of supporting women-led MSMEs.
“The launch of the Empower Her County Programme is a demonstration of the need to support women-led MSMEs,” Harriette Chiggai said.
“This is why my Office is partnering with private-sector entities to curate programs that can reach women at the grassroots and the main reason why His Excellency the President created the office of the Women’s Rights Advisor is to show his commitment towards every Kenyan woman and girl,”
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Absa Empower Her County Program
The Empower Her County Program aims to reach all 47 counties, targeting increased economic participation and entrepreneurship among 70% of women and improved financial literacy and management skills for 90% of participants.
Additionally, the program seeks to enhance women’s knowledge and uptake of available government and private sector funding opportunities.
Elizabeth Wasunna-Ochwa, Absa Bank Business Banking Director, highlighted the program’s alignment with broader economic goals.
“Closing the gender gap through economic empowerment is key to achieving our Sustainable Development Goals as a nation,” Elizabeth Wasunna said.
“When more women are empowered to create wealth, economies grow. This programme resonates with our corporate purpose to empower over one million women entrepreneurs by 2025.”
A key component of the program is the ‘Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB)’ module, developed by the International Labour Organization (ILO), which is one of the largest global business management training programs.
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International Labour Organization Report
A 2018 International Labour Organization report found that nearly 60% of women’s employment globally is in the informal economy, with even higher percentages in low-income countries.
In Kenya, women make up over 60% of the rural population, where poverty levels are highest.
The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics’ Women’s Empowerment Index 2020 revealed that only 22% of women in rural areas are empowered, compared to 40% in urban areas, highlighting the urgent need for such programs at the county level.
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