Women-owned firms dominate MSMEs but lag in exports, forum told

KEPROBA CEO Floice Mukabana / HANDOUT

Women-owned businesses account for nearly half of Kenya’s registered enterprises but remain significantly underrepresented in export markets, highlighting a persistent gap between entrepreneurship and participation in global trade.

This emerged during a national forum on women in export trade hosted in Nairobi by the Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency (KEPROBA), which brought together policymakers, exporters and industry stakeholders to examine barriers limiting women-led firms from accessing international markets.

According to data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), women own more than 7.4 million micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), representing nearly half of all registered businesses in the country.

However, fewer than 12 per cent of Kenya’s formal exporters are women-led enterprises, with women-owned firms accounting for less than eight percent of total export earnings.

Principal Secretary in the State Department for Trade Regina Ombam said the gap reflects structural challenges that continue to limit women entrepreneurs from accessing international markets.

“From where I stand, it is essential that we share practical information on how women can move beyond local markets and tap into international opportunities. Women need to know what global pathways exist and how to access them. Real empowerment must be tangible and actionable for us,” said Ombam.

She noted that many women-owned businesses remain concentrated in local markets despite growing opportunities in regional and global trade.

Within the East African Community, women dominate informal cross-border trade, accounting for between 40 and 80 percent of activity. Much of this trade, however, remains undocumented and is largely excluded from official statistics.

Data from the International Trade Centre (ITC) SheTrades survey shows that only nine percent of Kenyan firms are majority women-owned, below the Sub-Saharan Africa average of 15 percent for small enterprises.

The survey also shows that while women represent about 49 percent of enterprise owners in Kenya, businesses owned by women contribute only about 20 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.

Chief executive of Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency Floice Mukabana said expanding women’s participation in export markets is key to diversifying Kenya’s export base.

“Women entrepreneurs play a critical role in Kenya’s economic growth and export diversification. Through initiatives such as the Women in Export Trade Forum, KEPROBA is creating platforms that equip women-led enterprises with the knowledge, networks and market linkages needed to access regional and global markets,” she said.

The agency said it is rolling out programmes aimed at supporting women-led enterprises through export readiness training, market intelligence and trade promotion initiatives.

The forum also featured discussions on challenges facing women exporters, including limited access to financing, information gaps and regulatory hurdles in international markets.

KEPROBA plans to introduce several initiatives aimed at supporting women exporters, including the Women Exporters Network Kenya and recognition programmes targeting women-led export businesses.