Patmoz
By Njeri Irungu
Nairobi, Kenya, July 2, 2025 –
The UN Women Kenya Country Office has called on private sector companies to move beyond symbolic pledges and take concrete steps towards achieving gender equality and women’s economic empowerment. The appeal came during a high-level Women Empowerment Principles (WEPs) Forum held in Nairobi, which brought together key players from the corporate sector and professional bodies.
Speaking during the forum, Millicent Okello, the Women Economic Empowerment Specialist at UN Women Kenya, emphasized the critical role the private sector must play in embedding gender responsiveness within corporate structures and supply chains.
“The Women Empowerment Principles are not just about policies and pledges. They are about ensuring women are represented in leadership, supported within supply chains, and empowered both in the workplace and at the community level,” Okello said. “While 128 companies in Kenya have now signed the WEPs, our focus must shift from promises to practice.”
She acknowledged that one of the main challenges in advancing WEPs adoption is gaining the commitment of top leadership within companies — a critical step that often delays the signing and implementation process. “Signing is only the beginning. We want to see action: how many women are being promoted to leadership? How many are benefiting from procurement opportunities? Are workplaces becoming safer and more inclusive for women?” she posed.
Okello reaffirmed that there is no ‘ideal number’ of signatories, stating that all companies operating in Kenya should commit to the WEPs. “If we are to achieve sustainable development, gender equality must be embedded everywhere — at home, in our businesses, and in our institutions,” she added.
UN Women continues to support companies in this transition by offering capacity building and assessments. Currently, approximately 50% of the signatories are actively implementing the WEPs in practice.
Also speaking at the forum was Kenneth Matiba, CEO of the Kenya Institute of Supplies Management (KISM), the national body representing supply chain professionals in the country. He praised UN Women for their leadership in promoting gender-responsive procurement and highlighted KISM’s own efforts to empower women within the supply chain sector.
“Through initiatives like the ‘Tribe of Women’ caucus and our annual Women in Supply Chain Forum, we are deliberately creating safe spaces and opportunities for women to grow, lead, and influence policy,” said Matiba. “It is not just good for women. It is good for the profession and for the country’s socio-economic progress.”
He cited a recent impact assessment, supported by the German Development Agency, that found women had received 53% of the funds allocated under Kenya’s Access to Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO) program between 2013 and 2022. The remaining 47% was shared between youth and persons with disabilities — with the latter category registering the least participation.
Matiba noted the need for more targeted sensitization to ensure equitable access, especially for women living with disabilities. “We are encouraging women to leverage government procurement opportunities, but to also uphold ethics and integrity in the process,” he stressed.
The forum concluded with a strong call to action: for companies to transform gender equality pledges into policies that make a real difference in women’s lives — from boardrooms to supply chains.
