Gender department reviewing empowerment policy
Ministry of Public Service and Gender Chief Administrative Secretary Rachel Shebesh. Last March during the launch of a survey of the top 100 brands loved by women in Kenya, she said the findings would inform design of women empowerment initiatives.
What you need to know:
- The review as part of the ongoing activities to enable women build their economic resilience beyond the Covid-19 pandemic.
- Covid-19 has worsened inclusion of women in the labour market as economic dynamics have abruptly shifted to the disadvantage of women.
The State Department for Gender is reviewing its economic empowerment policy to integrate the emerging needs of women amid a ruffled economic environment shrinking opportunities for women than men.
Ministry of Public Service and Gender, senior policy advisor, Elizabeth Adongo, termed the review as part of the ongoing activities to enable women build their economic resilience beyond the Covid-19 pandemic.
“A lot of money has been invested in empowerment of women like the Sh2 billion earmarked for the Biashara Kenya Fund,” she said last week during the Annual Women Rights Organisation Convention (2021) convened by Crawn Trust.
Last month, Women Enterprise Fund (WEF) launched Thamini, a loan product tailored to meet the credit needs of the at least eight million widows in Kenya.
This interest-free loan facility, she said, is crucial to helping the vulnerable women rebuild their lives and stabilise economically.
Affirmative funds
On accessing markets, she said African Continental Free Trade Area provides an opportunity for women to trade their products across the region.
Last March during the launch of a survey of the top 100 brands loved by women in Kenya, Gender Chief Administrative Secretary Rachel Shebesh reckoned of the findings as important in informing design of women empowerment initiatives.
The survey found beauty, cleaning and sanitary products to be among the most loved products by the women. This data gave an indication to where women should invest credit acquired from the affirmative funds, Ms Shebesh had said.
Pre-pandemic levels
Covid-19 has worsened inclusion of women in the labour market as economic dynamics have abruptly shifted to the disadvantage of women. Market reviews show women without technology skills are unlikely to be rehired in the new era.
Further, women who left work to take care of their children at the peak of the Covid-19 cannot find work because employers have either cut back their workforce or shut down altogether.
Data from International Labour Organisation indicates unemployment for women rose by 13 million in 2020 compared to 2019 and is projected to increase by another two million in 2021.
Men’s unemployment, on the other hand, has mostly recovered to pre-pandemic levels, thereby exacerbating existing inequalities in the workforce.
