Kenya marks International Day of Women in Industry

Growing up, Doris Obondo would often face challenges accessing soap.

She recalls her family struggling with hygiene-related illnesses, associating this with a lack of access to soap, at least to wash hands.

This was the beginning of her journey towards what is now turning out to be a woman-established and led industry.

At the university, where she studied Business Administration, her lecturer chose an exam approach where each student would have to develop and showcase a business idea.

On graduation day, she was awarded for having the best idea – making soap. She has since expanded to include more beauty products, especially using coffee as a major ingredient.

Doris was among the women who showcased coffee-related business innovations during the inaugural International Day of Women in Industry (IDWI) in Nairobi on Wednesday, May 5th.

“Last year, as I was brewing coffee in my house, I felt so relaxed as I enjoyed the aroma. I thought of how I could ensure other people enjoy the same, and this was where the coffee-based products idea was conceived,” said Doris, the founder of Aloeflora Products Ltd.

Among other products, she makes coffee lotions, body scrubs and creams.

Under the theme Women Shaping the Future of Industry, the IDWI was officially established by United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) member states at the General Conference in November 2025, and it is observed globally every year on 21 April, rhyming with the date when UNIDO’s first Gender Policy entered into force.

“IDWI reflects a shared recognition that women’s participation and leadership are not a social add-on but a core industrial strategy,” said UNIDO Kenya Country Representative Tally Einav.

Kenya, she added, has a female labour force participation rate of 63.0 per cent, compared to 71.9 per cent for men. Women are predominantly employed in the informal sector, where earnings are lower and job security is limited.

In manufacturing, agriculture, forestry, and fishing, the second and third largest sectors for wage employment, women account for only 28.1 per cent of the workforce.

Despite a vibrant entrepreneurship ecosystem where women own nearly 33 per cent of MSMEs, Tally noted women‑owned enterprises tend to remain smaller and less capitalised, constrained by access to credit, land, and collateral.

Said she, “Up to 47 per cent of women in Kenya experience gender‑based violence in their lifetime, with GBV declared a national security priority in 2024, posing serious risks to women’s economic participation, particularly in informal and agrifood workplaces."

TradeMark Africa Kenya Country Director Lillian Mwai-Ndegwa highlighted persistent gender disparities across trade and industry, noting that women remain under-represented in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields, where men account for 83.9 per cent of the workforce.

Despite their central role in production, particularly in agriculture, she added, women face barriers in value capture, decision-making, and market access.

“Of the country’s 800,000 smallholder coffee farmers, most of them are women, yet structural constraints such as limited land ownership, restricted access to finance, and low representation in cooperative leadership hinder their advancement into higher-value segments,” noted Lillian.

She emphasised that shifting global trade dynamics, including compliance frameworks like the EU Deforestation Regulation, demand urgent adaptation.

With over 55 per cent of Kenya’s coffee exports destined for the EU, she noted, traceability and sustainability are now critical.

Currently, UNIDO is partnering with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in implementing a joint programme along the coffee value chain.

The programme is focused on increasing domestic value addition and consumption, promoting sustainable production, and creating an enabling environment for broader participation.

Dubbed the Inclusive and Sustainable Coffee Value Chain Project in Kenya, the three-year initiative aims at transforming the sector while empowering women and youth. A key priority is strengthening women-led enterprises by improving access to finance, markets, and business networks.

“Beyond traditional roles like roasting and packaging, the initiative is unlocking new opportunities in coffee-based products such as cosmetics, pastries, and biochar. These emerging areas offer accessible entry points for women entrepreneurs to capture more value locally,” said Jote Cika, UNIDO project associate.

The project is financed through a UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund with support from the Government of Sweden and aims to catalyse long-term, inclusive growth in Kenya’s coffee sector.

Nairobi Coffee Exchange CEO Lisper Ndung'u appreciated that women are increasingly rising in leadership positions along the coffee value chain, citing herself as an example.

She also noted growing participation of women-led companies at the exchange, though parity is yet to be achieved.

“Women have long been concentrated in production and informal trading, but are increasingly stepping into leadership and decision-making roles within Kenya’s coffee sector,” she said, adding that women should passionately explore opportunities across the value chain.

Global Coffee Platform Programs Manager George Watene called for policy support, financing and capacity building, saying these are essential to increasing production and expanding market access.

Strengthening women-led cooperatives and nurseries, alongside acknowledging their role, he added, could significantly boost Kenya’s output, making ambitious production targets achievable within the coming years.