NAIROBI, Kenya Mar 11 – The Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency (KEPROBA) has launched a national push to increase the participation of women-led enterprises in the export economy.
The event which brought together policymakers, entrepreneurs and industry leaders is aimed at inaugural Women in Export Trade Forum in Nairobi.
Held under the theme “She Exports, She Thrives: Unlocking Women’s Potential in Global Trade,” the forum aims to celebrate women entrepreneurs contributing to Kenya’s export growth while identifying pathways for more women-owned businesses to access international markets.
Presiding over the event, Trade Principal Secretary Regina Ombam said there was an urgent need to change the narrative around women’s participation in export trade by providing practical support and information to help them move beyond local 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,” Ombam said.
“Women need to know what global pathways exist and how to access them. Real empowerment must be tangible and actionable for us.”
She urged women exporters to mentor others seeking to venture into international trade.
“We must claim our space, challenge long-held stereotypes and stand in our full potential. Let us support one another those already exporting should lift and guide those who aspire to do the same,” she added.
Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) shows 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 percent of Kenya’s formal exporters are women-led enterprises, and women-owned firms account for less than eight percent of total export revenues.
Across the East African Community (EAC), women dominate informal cross-border trade, making up between 40 and 80 percent of such activity, though much of it remains undocumented in formal trade statistics.
Findings from the International Trade Centre SheTrades survey also highlight the gap: only nine percent of Kenyan firms are majority women-owned, below the Sub-Saharan Africa average of 15 percent for small firms.
While women account for 49 percent of enterprise owners, their businesses generate just 20 percent of Kenya’s GDP.
KEPROBA Chief Executive Officer Floice Mukabana said empowering women exporters is essential to strengthening Kenya’s global trade competitiveness.
“Women entrepreneurs play a critical role in Kenya’s economic growth and export diversification,” Mukabana said.
“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 is supporting women exporters through export-readiness training, market intelligence, trade promotion initiatives and participation in international trade fairs to help them scale their businesses.
As the national agency mandated to promote exports and strengthen the Made in Kenya brand, KEPROBA says it is working to ensure women entrepreneurs are fully integrated into the export ecosystem and positioned to benefit from emerging global market opportunities.
The forum also featured a high-level panel discussion titled “The State of Women in Kenya’s Export Economy: Progress, Gaps and the Road Ahead,” bringing together experienced exporters and industry leaders to discuss ways of expanding women’s participation in global trade.
KEPROBA announced that in 2027 it plans to roll out three key initiatives aimed at strengthening women’s role in export trade, the Women Exporters Network Kenya (WEN-Kenya), the She Exports Awards, and the Made in Kenya Women Exporters Programme.