Kenya could increase its GDP by $10 billion if progress towards gender parity is accelerated.
Speaking during the 2022 Zuri Awards ceremony, Zuri Foundation Chief Executive Officer Norah Muthoni Mumo said increase in women participation towards societal transformation in various fields among them political leadership, senior managerial positions, entrepreneurship, as well as sports and culture could boost the economy by 10 percent of the current GDP by 2025 which currently stands at $100 billion.
“More women are now in political leadership positions; women in corporate boards in Kenya stand at 36 per cent, exceeding the global average of 23 percent. There are now more women leading SMEs and building brands that are changing lives,” she explained.
Mumo however noted that despite the improvement, gender inequality still remains high across the country.
“Women given a chance can transform kenya’s economy, we just need to remove the barriers. Heavy workloads, their domestic responsibilities, their restriction to low paid and insecure seasonal work, their lack of land/animal rights combined with ‘macho’ attitudes upheld through education, religion and the mass media, are all major barriers to women,” she said.
Mumo was speaking during the 2022 Zuri Awards,where 15 women were awarded in various categories that include : agriculture, innovation, STEM, humanitarian, arts & culture, media,renewable energy, manufacturing, public service,sports, health care, young achiever, finance, business and education.
The award received over 250 submissions with three women nominated in each category.
The nominees went through a thorough vetting process that included training and pitching to a panel of jurors who made the final decision.
Among the winners of the night were Athena Morgen the founder of DigiSpace Safety while Judie Kihumba scooped the healthcare award.
Amina Haider the founder of JIKO Manufacturing Incubation Facility took the manufacturing award as Sharon Korir won the humanitarian award for helping women suffering from Fistula in Kenya. Ruth Samoei was recognised in the humanitarian category for her role in facilitating disadvantaged deaf communities to favourably compete for available business opportunities in an already saturated market.
In the young achievers category, Marie Claire Wangari was awarded for her work at Reproductive and Sexual health Programme for Kenyan Teenagers (RESPEKT) while Rukia Sebit was honoured in the education category.
Other winners include Annrose Gathara in the Agriculture Category, Ellie Lalaikipiain in the Arts and Culture category, Nasenyana Adoket in the finance category, Anna Gaitha in the business category, Deborah Kisongochi, Ann Nyakinyua Gathura in the STEM category and Rael Otieno in the sports category.
“Zuri Awards’ celebration of excellence among the unsung names, across the 15 categories is progress towards how the world should and can be. It’s the recognition of the gut feeling that says, ‘You don’t have to wait for the world to start, you have the vision to create the narrative.’ Everyone in this room is a winner because you all took the first step towards progress and making a difference,” said Margaret Kobia, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Public Service and Gender.
The 2022 Awards had a new category dubbed digital resilience award, sponsored by Meta. The award sought to recognize women business owners who pivoted to digital during the Covid-19 pandemic. Naom Monari won this category.
Other award partners include EABL, Tusker Malt , Tanqueray, Safaricom , Citizen, Hot 96, Radio ,Junction , NRSA, UN Women, EU and Multichoice.
Zuri Awards was inaugurated six years ago and has had over 600 submissions, 125 Nominees, 52 Honorees, KES 20 Million raised, 10 Trade Linkages and 15 Award Categories.
Zuri Foundation was founded by Go Gaga Experiential in 2021 , with the aim of championing women change-makers through Zuri Awards, trade linkages, training and mentorship, fundraising and women launchPad.
