Women constitute slightly more than half of the Kenyan population at 50.3% according to the World Bank 2024. A significant portion of this demographic remains excluded from full and productive participation in the labour market. As illustrated in Figure 1, in 2024, the World Bank reported that only 62.2% of the female(15-49) population participated actively in the Kenyan labour market. A comparison to the male counterparts, 71.4%. This gap can be explained by persistent barriers that limit women’s economic engagement. Another report from the World Bank 2023, on the quality of work dynamics between men and women, indicates that vulnerable employment, informal, least likely to have protection and safety from economic shocks, is highest amongst women at 73.6% compared to men at 56.4%.  Addressing these exclusions not only benefits women but also improves Kenya’s broader economic growth agenda. Closing the gender gap in the labour force participation could unlock substantial productivity gains and promote more inclusive economic development. 

Figure 1: Employment Dynamics Between Men and Women in Kenya 

Source: The World Bank, Gender Data Portal 2025 

Most girls in rural Kenya do not complete their basic education, as illustrated in Table 1, the gaps in education for young girls are based on geographical location in attending primary and secondary school. Education primarily equips individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to prepare for employment as well as to remain competitive in the labour market. In 2014, recorded cases of teenage pregnancies were 50% in Samburu, 36% in West Pokot, Marsabit at 29% and Narok at 28%. Typically, a chance at education is almost impossible for girls who have been through teenage pregnancies, despite having a return to school policy. These, in turn, lead to a skills gap and no chance of securing formal employment. There is still work to be done to better mitigate the challenges young girls are facing that are barring them from getting an education to secure their economic safety in the future and the whole country. 

Table 1: The scale of Exclusion for Young Girls in Kenya in 2023 

Source: Newcastle University, Helping More Girls Complete Basic Education in Kenya, 2023 

Secondly, a wage gap exists between men and women in employment. Women are paid less for similar work and responsibility compared to their male peers. The gender pay gap between men and women stands at 17.7% hourly type of salaries and 31.3% for monthly salaries. The gap is not only a product or less pay but also is seen due to the number of work hours between men and women. Women work fewer hours than men, largely because of women's disproportionate, unpaid care responsibilities at home, discriminatory practices in the job market and individual preferences. This gap is experienced in every level of education, but is highest for women who only got a primary school education at 34.8%, 18.8% for married individuals and lowest for individuals with a tertiary education at 16%. The wage gap also manifests in terms of the different sectors of employment. Table 2 highlights the percentage of wage gaps based on different sectors of employment. The wage gap manifests more in the informal sector at 26.9% and at 1% in the formal sector. Aside from having a large portion of women out of the labour force, those in the labour force are exploited in terms of the wage gap, a hindrance to their economic development as well.  

Table 2: Percentage wage of employment by occupation and formality status by gender in 2023 

 Source: UN Women, Gender Pay Gap and Labour Market Inequalities in Kenya, 2023 

Health and safety are paramount enablers of productivity. In Kenya, women’s safety has been compromised over the years with the rise of femicide cases. Between January 2016 and December 2024, there have been 930 recorded cases of femicide. In addition to that, the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) statistics reveal that 40% of women have endured physical or sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) during their lifetime. Kenya has the highest IPV amongst sub-Saharan African countries. Data across different health facilities revealed that 27- 56% of women have reported that they have experienced physical violence. Women's safety plays a very crucial role, especially for those in SMEs and the work hours available for them; however, the current environments both in firms and households show a bad culture that should be ended, and women should be protected. 

These cases of insecurity for women limit them compared to men. Hypothetically, if the two of them owned a shop, the woman would have to close their business earlier and open a little late to guarantee their safety. This alone already gives their competition an upper hand. Additionally, for school-going students, those in primary school, high school and even tertiary institutions, the girls have to constantly be in fear of their safety when attending early morning or late evening classes, as they could easily be a victim of sexual assault or femicide, hence making their learning and skill uptake journey difficult, if not cut short.   

Additionally, underrepresentation has been persistent despite having a progressive constitution in the country. The 2010 Kenyan constitution mandates a two-thirds gender rule, which requires that no gender should constitute more than two-thirds of a public body. This has not been attained since the implementation of the Constitution. Currently, women only make up 23.4% of the parliament. This underrepresentation is detrimental to ensuring the addressing of the challenges women are facing in the country. Policy formulation, division of the country’s resources and other economic decisions are addressed by elected and nominated policymakers in the legislature. Women make up 50.3% of the population, the majority. Logically, most of the population will not have their needs effectively met.  

In Conclusion, Women are faced with challenges that are a barrier to unlocking their maximum attainable economic potential, in turn translating to overall economic growth for the country. From a young age, girls are finding it hard to attend school and even harder to make it to tertiary education. Those who have managed to attend school are faced with fear for their security, femicide, sexual assault and even harassment.  Teenage pregnancies and early marriages also serve as another hindrance to attending school. The wage gap, discriminatory based on gender, and insecurity also set women apart from men. Lastly, addressing these challenges requires urgent intervention from the appointed and elected leaders and policymakers. However, if more than 75% of them cannot relate to or even understand these discriminatory practices, then the chances of addressing the issues are minimal.   

The government plays a fundamental role in addressing these issues. There should be more priority for ensuring girls get an opportunity to go to school. To ensure they stay in school, the enforcement of the return to school policy should be implemented better in cases of teenage pregnancies. There should be better measures to enforce existing laws that address the wage gaps with strict penalties for employers who do not comply. The safety of women should be guaranteed to ensure women feel safe operating their businesses, the same as their male counterparts, in early mornings and evenings. On child marriages and assault, as much as there are already policies meant to curb them, there should be more enforcement of these existing policies. Lastly, the government should uphold the two-thirds gender rule requirement by the Kenyan Constitution 2010. This puts women a step ahead in effectively addressing the gendered challenges they experience that bar them from attaining their fullest potential.