What election of women means for Kenya

Mary Ngechu, Chair of the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) Women in Manufacturing (WIM) Programme. [File]

The just concluded elections are a testament that with the right laws, policies and affirmative action, women can thrive in areas they set out to achieve.

A record-breaking seven women were elected as governors in different counties. Others were elected as Members of the National Assembly, Senators and MCAs.

Women now have a platform to support their communities, and drive economic development at large. Historically, women across the world have faced significant barriers hindering them from participating in the political, economic and social spaces.

This is attributed to cultural barriers and levels of education and access to opportunities.

Unfortunately, this is the state of play in Kenya's manufacturing sector. From Women in Manufacturing (WIM) Study Report by Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) in 2020, Kenya's manufacturing sector is predominately male-owned and staffed.

Women working in the manufacturing sector reported that policy formulation was not gender-responsive within manufacturing companies. These gender-neutral policies result in disparities in pay, promotions and job security between men and women.

Other significant barriers to women's participation in manufacturing include challenges in accessing finance, high cost of production and a complex taxation framework that affects profitability, making Kenya a harsh operating environment. These challenges are compounded for women-owned businesses, since most of them are small and medium enterprises and operate in the informal sector.

Kenya has made significant progress to increase women's participation in politics and the economy. For instance, we have a robust and favourable framework that women in manufacturing can leverage for greater involvement, productivity, competitiveness and profitability. Examples include Vision 2030, Buy Kenya Build Kenya initiative and various legislations that make it easier to register businesses and access funding to establish and scale up enterprises.

The country also offers opportunities that can enhance women's participation and contribution in the industry through increased affirmative action opportunities such as the Access to Government Procurement Opportunities, and some affirmative action funds such as Women Enterprise Fund and Uwezo Fund. However, a lot more still needs to be done to achieve gender equality.

One of the ways of doing this, is by looking into our legal and policy frameworks to review specific laws that affect the manufacturing sector through a gender lens and create guidelines for gender-responsive implementation.

It is also paramount that we strengthen the implementation of existing gender-aware or gender-sensitive laws through guidelines that recognize and address the differential gender needs of entrepreneurs.

It is important to create effective collaborative engagements between public sector oversight agencies to ensure compliance in the implementation of the laws that affect women in manufacturing.

On the policy side, we urge the State to consolidate legal, regulatory, and compliance requirements in a single place to enhance efficiency and reduce the cost of doing business.

Additionally, implement science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) awareness campaigns aimed at girls and young women that encourage them to take up STEM subjects and technical and vocational education and training or other skills-based courses.

Targeted financial and tax education and exemptions for women-led and women-owned manufacturing companies are also a critical pillar of increasing women's participation in manufacturing.

According to UN, it would take another 40 years for women and men to be equally represented in national and political leadership at the current pace.