Women-Led MSMEs in Kenya: Emerging Trends, Barriers, and Policy Interventions Towards the Realization of Kenya Vision 2030
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are universally recognized as key drivers of economic growth, job creation, innovation and poverty alleviation. In Kenya, MSMEs led by women represent a substantial part of the business community playing an important role in raising family income levels, promoting social inclusion and fostering local economic development. Despite their growing importance in contributing to national economic performance, women entrepreneurs still face a range of structural challenges such as restricted access to financial services, technology gaps, market exclusion, entrepreneurial capability gap and socio-cultural challenges. With Kenya working its way to achieving the vision set out in Kenya Vision 2030, women-led MSMEs have become instrumental in advancing inclusive growth, poverty alleviation and gender equality objectives. This paper discusses the emerging trends in women-led MSMEs in Kenya, highlights the challenges faced by the enterprises and recommends policy solutions required to maximize the contribution of women entrepreneurship to national development.