<p style="margin-bottom:11px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:105%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><b><span style="font-family:Montserrat">WOMEN'S ECONOMIC FORUM KICKS OFF</span></b></span></span></span></p>

<p style="margin-bottom:11px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:105%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><b><span style="font-family:Montserrat">By Emilly OwIti</span></b></span></span></span></p>

<p style="text-align:justify; margin-bottom:11px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:105%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:Montserrat">The government of Kenya has set aside 50% of the KES 50 billion&nbsp;Hustlers’ Fund for women-owned businesses. Cabinet Secretary for Public Service Gender Affairs and Affirmative Action Hon. Aisha Jumwa announced during the launch of the Women Economic Empowerment Forum held at Safari Park Hotel today.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p style="text-align:justify; margin-bottom:11px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:105%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:Montserrat">This annual conference launched by CRAWN Trust in 2021, now in its third year, brought together over three (300) hundred women from both private and public sectors to advocate for the economic emancipation of the “forgotten middle” made up of small Holder farmers, fisherwomen, small scale farmers, and traders.&nbsp; The two-day event features panel discussions, keynote speeches, power talks, and dialogues on women’s economic empowerment.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p style="text-align:justify; margin-bottom:11px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:105%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:Montserrat">In attendance was the Canadian High Commissioner to Kenya, Christopher Thornley, PS Gender and Affirmative Action, Veronica Nduva, and the UoN WEE Hub team led by the Director of Research, Dr. Mary Mbithi representing the Hub Leader Prof. Wanjiku Kabira. The KU WEE Hub leader Prof. Waudo, UN Women, Care Kenya, KEPSA, and representatives from academia, civil society organizations, government, and entrepreneurs were among the delegates.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p style="text-align:justify; margin-bottom:11px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:105%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:Montserrat">In acknowledging the challenges women face, CS Jumwa urged women entrepreneurs to exploit existing affirmative action funds and LPO financing recently introduced by WEF to enable women-led businesses access government procurement opportunities (AGPO). The opportunities include funds such as Uwezo, Micro, Small, and Medium enterprises, and remodeling of WEF for digital and short-term lending. “These Products are aligned to the five priority areas in the Kenya Kwanza administration’s nine-point economic transformation agenda on gender equality and women’s empowerment,” the CS said. The priority areas include; agricultural transformation, MSMEs, housing and development, healthcare, digital superhighway, and the creative industry.</span></span></span></span></p>

<p style="text-align:justify; margin-bottom:11px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:11.75pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:Montserrat">During her presentation, Dr. Mbithi reiterated that dealing with poverty, climate change, and hunger was critical to&nbsp;the&nbsp;economic emancipation of women. She emphasized the need to support the participation of women in the labor force through green, efficient technologies in order to increase productivity citing the massive gender inequality in Kenya. The UoN WEE Hub sponsored and led two panels on; <b>Women’s Economic Empowerment priority areas</b> and<b> The Power of Women Collectives to Drive Economic growth, informed by the research conducted by the Hub and the Priority Agenda for WEE. </b>CRAWN Trust Executive Director, Daisy Amdany lauded the Ministry of Public Service, Gender Affairs, and Affirmative Action for the support pledged towards women’s economic empowerment efforts. The event concludes on February 28, 2023.</span></span></span></span></p>
