2023, Otieno, Hellen N., Kiraka, Ruth N., Kiraka, Ruth N.

This policy brief draws on evidence from an in-depth Kenya Country Study conducted by Strathmore University Business School researchers. The research project2 focused on the effectiveness of the Access to Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO) initiative in enhancing women’s participation in public procurement and promoting their empowerment. Based on evidence from 25 counties, a key finding is that the AGPO initiative contributes to women’s empowerment. However, some barriers limit women from actively participating in and fully benefitting from the AGPO programme. This brief delves into specific barriers that undermine women’s participation and highlights gender responsive interventions that can help the government to achieve gender equality in public procurement.

2024, Kiraka, Ruth N.; Otieno, Hellen N, Kiraka, Ruth N.

Gender responsive procurement is defined by UN Women as ‘the selection of suppliers of goods, civil works or services that consider the impact on gender equality and women’s empowerment’ (Combaz, 2018). Gender responsive procurement seeks to promote gender equality by prioritising positive outcomes for female and male suppliers in the purchase of goods and services (Chin, 2017). Creating an ecosystem for gender responsive procurement involves establishing a supportive environment where various stakeholders collaborate to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment within procurement activities. In Kenya, the Access to Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO) programme is an affirmative action that seeks to promote public procurement among marginalised groups by reserving at least 30 per cent of all government procurement for women, youth and persons with disabilities (The National Treasury, 2023). This policy brief focuses on women’s access to government procurement and highlights how the ecosystem can be improved to increase participation.

2023, Kiraka, Ruth N., Otieno, Hellen N., Kiraka, Ruth N.

Public Procurement constitutes a strategic element of any economy. The level of public expenditure, if adequately and strategically managed through a sound procurement process can produce greater economic and social outcomes and impact. The Kenya Government initiated Access to Public Procurement Opportunities (AGPO) programme to facilitate enterprises owned by women, youth and people with disabilities to participate in government procurement opportunities, to economically empower them. This Policy Brief highlights information gaps in the AGPO programme that have undermined its uptake. It presents key findings of a research project that focused on the effectiveness of the AGPO initiative in enhancing women’s participation in public procurement and promoting their economic empowerment2 conducted in 25 counties. A key finding of the research was that the AGPO programme does contribute to women’s empowerment. However, there are information gaps and/or misinformation, that prevent many women entrepreneurs from participating in the programme. The Policy Brief offers recommendations on how these gaps can be addressed.