http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/handle/11295/155053 2026-04-08T18:08:24Z http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/handle/11295/167902 Pathfinders for Women’s Economic Empowerment Kabira, Nkatha; Ngunjiri, Wanjiku; Ombara, June This book is a sequel to "Conversations with Pathfinders: Strategies that Worked for Women in the 2010 Constitution-Making Process," capturing in detail the stories of women involved in the process and the spirit that guided their pursuit. It chronicles the experiences of women in Kenyan political parties through conversations with key figures, including Honourables Phoebe Asiyo and Martha Karua, Jael Mbogo, Kamla Sikand, Professors Julia Ojiambo, Wanjiku Kabira, and Eddah Gachukia, among others, who took on roles in the constitution-making process and the second liberation struggle. They passed the baton to younger women, paving the way for new voices such as Daisy Amdany, Honourables Beatrice Elachi and Mumbi Ngaru, Professor Patricia Kameri Mbote, among others. Despite ethnic, religious, cultural, economic, and political differences, these women worked together toward a common goal— women’s inclusion in the new Constitution. The book explores the impact and contributions of the Women’s Movement and self-mobilization on Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) in Kenya between 1963 and 2010. Historically, the experiences of African women have been marginalized from mainstream knowledge production and seldom acknowledged as valid sources of information to inform development across the continent. Women’s experiences and insights have not been sufficiently utilized to shape discourse, policy, and societal structures. This book seeks to make African women’s knowledge visible through academic and policy discussions. The women featured in this book hail from six regions, in Kenya, comprising the following counties: Busia, Kakamega, and Kisumu in the Western region; Kajiado, Nakuru, and Baringo in the Rift Valley; Nyeri, Muranga, and Kiambu in the Central region; Machakos, Kitui, and Makueni in Eastern region; and Kwale, Mombasa, and Kilifi in the Coast region; and Nairobi City County. The study aimed to: (1) map the historical contribution of grassroots women’s groups to women’s economic empowerment (WEE) between 1963 and 1975, during Kenya’s early independence; (2) examine their continued role in WEE from 1976 to 1997, leading up to the introduction of the affirmative action fund; and (3) assess how the national women’s movement has influenced WEE-related policies from 1990 to the present, highlighting key lessons on care work and effective mobilization strategies to inform future policy discourse. Book 2025-10-01T00:00:00Z http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/handle/11295/167898 Strategies that Work for Women’s Economic Empowerment Kabira, Nkatha; Ombara, June; Akoth, Brender This publication is based on a study by Kabira & Ngunjiri (2024) that explored the impact and contributions of the Women’s Movement and Self-Mobilization in Kenya during both the pre-independence and post-independence periods. The study documents stories of women’s journeys, highlighting their successes and challenges. The narratives portray women, not as victims of their circumstances but as heroines characterized by determination and resilience. The book from which these strategies are drawn offers chronological and historical accounts of women’s self-mobilization towards economic empowerment. In another earlier study (Kabira et al., 2018), discuss how women have navigated historical, socio-political, and legal spaces to challenge the mainstream knowledge, in their journey towards a transformative and just society. The promulgation of the constitution of Kenya in 2010 marked significant progress in addressing systemic barriers and creating opportunities for Women’s economic empowerment (WEE). However, more effort is still needed to establish a sustainable policy framework that addresses economic disparities between genders. WEE is widely recognized by governments, international development institutions, and businesses globally as essential for human progress, thriving economies, and business success. It is apparent that WEE yields multiple benefits, contributing to the overall goal of strengthening global gender justice and serving as a launching pad for future interventions in feminist movements. Women’s Economic Empowerment is a powerful tool for change, promoting gender equality, and delivering greater benefits to communities and nations. The extent to which economic inclusion can be achieved for marginalized groups, including women and girls, depends on supportive structures such as a strong women’s movement. The movement should advocate for policy reforms that promote economic opportunities. Addressing the wide range of issues affecting women globally calls for strong partnerships among various stakeholders involved in the ecosystem of women’s economic empowerment. It is essential to invest in women leaders and networks to enhance their capacity to advocate for these important policy changes. Research conducted by UoN WEE Hub under the Women in Business Incubation (WBI) project highlights that the informality of most women’s businesses significantly hinders their access to financing (UoN WEE Hub, 2022). This lack of formalization often prevents them from participating in schemes like the Credit Guarantee Scheme (CGS). A Study 2025-12-01T00:00:00Z http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/handle/11295/167897 Replicating Strategies that Worked for Women in the 2010 Constitution-Making Process in Networking and Alliance Building for Women’s Economic Empowerment (NABWEE) Mutua, Agnes Meroka; Wanjiku, Diana Anne; Akoth, Brender The Networking and Alliance Building for Women’s Economic Empowerment (NABWEE) Project of the University of Nairobi, African Women Studies Centre, Women Economic Empowerment Hub (UoN-AWSC WEE Hub) under cluster 4 Project 2 (C4P2) seeks to evaluate what works in networking and alliance building by replicating the strategies that worked for women during the Constitution making process (1990-2010). The women’s movement has made remarkable progress, culminating in gains in the 2010 Constitution of Kenya. Owing to this, the WEE Hub decided to replicate the strategies that worked for women during the Constitution-making process to influence policies, regulations, and programs both at the national and county levels through the NABWEE. The NABWEE Project, therefore, aims to evaluate what works in networking and alliance building for WEE by utilizing best practices for women’s self-mobilization in influencing policies, programs, and regulations for WEE. By building a network of women leaders, women entrepreneurs, and women’s rights advocates, NABWEE aims to create a space where women can use evidence generated through research to self-advocate for WEE. The Project’s purpose is to galvanize the creation of networks of women’s organizations and women’s entrepreneurs to promote a shared understanding of issues affecting Women’s Economic Empowerment and the strategies that work for the full realization of women’s economic rights, and leverage on strengthening synergies among policies and programmes that target women. The Alliance aims to contribute in promoting mutual support and accountability towards ensuring that women entrepreneurs tap into the available opportunities within the local and international markets. Using the research conducted by the UoN-AWSC WEE Hub on strategies that work for women’s self-mobilization for WEE, NABWEE aims to support women entrepreneurs and women’s organizations in mobilizing and advocating for Women’s Economic Empowerment. The NABWEE Project was launched in collaboration with CRAWN Trust in February 2022, following the development of the project design, concept, and work plan in 2021. The Project aims to support the establishment and sustainability of women’s networks in Kenya. These networks are important vehicles for women’s self-advocacy; hence, NABWEE seeks to support self-advocacy by women. Monitoring Survey Report 2025-12-01T00:00:00Z http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/handle/11295/167893 AWSC Report - Organizational Capacity Assessment (2025) Kabira, Wanjiku Mukabi; Nyambura, Minneh; Wamuyu, Ruth This report presents a comprehensive organizational capacity assessment of the African Women Studies Centre (AWSC), University of Nairobi (UoN), conducted in February 2025. The assessment was part of AWSC's initiative to enhance its organizational capacity, effectiveness, and coherence, specifically in promoting the participation of women in economics in leadership and management in Kenyan academic institutions. The assessment, conducted by an organizational development expert, was participatory in nature and involved reviewing of organizational documents such as the AWSC Strategic Plan (2024-2029), Governance structure, AWSC’s regulations and guidelines, among others. The aim was to ensure the assessment was data-driven. One on one interviews were also conducted with AWSC team members who included AWSC leadership, program staff, researchers, and secretariat, in order to capture diverse perspectives of the organization. A three-day retreat was finally conducted, bringing together the AWSC board members, researchers, secretariat and other UoN stakeholders for a time of collective reflections and capacity mapping. An open-source organizational capacity assessment tool was used during this retreat allowing participants to reflect and rate capabilities across the five areas: leadership, organizational arrangements, partnerships, funder relationships, and the cross cutting elements of values and culture. Group discussions and plenary sessions were held during these sessions. Findings of this assessment reveal that AWSC demonstrates a strong executive leadership with the Centre benefiting from a highly effective director and a diverse board membership drawn from a broad spectrum of skills. The board’s engagement in influential networks and its alignment with AWSC’s goals position the Centre as a leader in gender advocacy and feminist scholarship. AWSC equally demonstrates a strong strategic coherence. The Centre has a well-defined strategic plan (2024–2029) that guides programmatic and operational work, ensuring alignment with its mission and vision. Programs are well designed through rigorous needs assessments and integrate measurable goals, though greater cross-program collaboration is recommended. In terms of Organizational Arrangements, the Centre has a healthy, vibrant culture of advocacy, with a clearly defined strategy for policy engagement. AWSC is well endowed with a team of highly qualified team members, who are well-versed in research, program management. AWSC maintains robust partnerships with key stakeholders, including marginalized communities, and is highly regarded in gender and academic movements. Report 2025-06-01T00:00:00Z