As International Women’s Day 2026 approaches, it is a good time to reflect on government financing for women’s empowerment. A critical review of government investments in Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE), “Assessing National Funding for Women’s Economic Empowerment in Kenya” by Publish What You Fund and the Institute of Public Finance (IPF), reveals that while there are visible allocations to WEE initiatives across key sectors, the alignment between these budgetary allocations, actual expenditures, and the strategic direction outlined in national policies remains inconsistent and fragmented.
The Global Gender Gap Report 2025 revealed that Kenya’s overall gender gap score declined 23 places, falling from approximately 0.689, down from about 0.712 in 2024. On the Economic Participation and Opportunity sub-index, which is a critical indicator of WEE, performance in this area has declined in recent years and remains below the level required for full gender parity. Specifically, Kenya’s score dropped from approximately 0.789 in 2024 to 0.738 in 2025, indicating a regression in narrowing the economic gender gap.
This year’s theme, #GiveToGain points the way toward addressing these gaps. When public systems “give” strategically and intentionally, societies “gain” stronger economies, more resilient communities, and more credible governance. In this way, #GiveToGain becomes a powerful call for governments to align public resourcing with the transformative agenda of WEE.
Public investments in Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) in Kenya are often fragmented, inconsistently funded, and more exposed to reductions during fiscal constraints. WEE financing should be deliberately structured, clear, and safeguarded within Public Financial Management Systems. Additionally, Kenya does not have a clear and comprehensive mechanism to track the use of public resources for WEE, making it hard to determine whether investments target priority areas or address structural barriers. Gaps in gender disaggregated data and analytical capacity further limit effective budget oversight and weaken legislative scrutiny of these commitments.
To address the weaknesses in Kenya’s approach to Women’s Economic Empowerment, investments should be deliberately planned, clearly identified within budget frameworks, and safeguarded against cuts during periods of fiscal constraint. WEE is not consistently reflected in the financing of the State Department for Gender, which remains the primary institution responsible for implementing women-focused economic empowerment programmes. Notably, allocations to the State Department for Gender show a declining trend across the medium term, decreasing from KSh 6.3 billion in FY 2025/26 to KSh 6.25 billion in FY 2026/27, with further reductions projected thereafter. Particularly concerning is the projected reduction in funding for the Gender Empowerment Programme, which is set to decrease from KSh 1.16 billion in FY 2025/26 to KSh 1.079 billion in FY 2026/27, with additional cuts forecast over the medium term according to the 2026 Budget Policy Statement.
The National Integrated Monitoring and Evaluation System (NIMES) provides a framework for tracking public sector performance, but it is not yet fully linked to budget processes and plans, limiting its ability to monitor how resources contribute to Women’s Economic Empowerment. Without integrating for example, gender sensitive indicators and expenditure tracking into the system, it is difficult to establish whether budgets, plans or strategies are translating into investments that respond to priority areas of women or the structural barriers. Without measurable outcomes, financing risks remain symbolic, fragmented, or misdirected.
Moreover, a study by the Kenyatta University WEE Hub on Gender Responsive Budgeting in Kenya highlights persistent limitations in gender disaggregated data and analytical capacity, which constrain meaningful oversight of budgets and weaken legislative scrutiny of commitments. For example, research shows that data gaps limit efforts to track progress towards gender equality and quantify the contribution of women to the economy, including the lack of sex disaggregated indicators needed to monitor budgets and public spending on Women’s Economic Empowerment. This lack of disaggregated data hampers rigorous analysis of how allocations impact women and undermines the capacity of oversight institutions like Parliament to assess outcomes effectively.
Our call is that Kenya should move beyond policy rhetoric to strategic, outcome-driven investment in Women’s Economic Empowerment by institutionalizing, safeguarding, and monitoring WEE financing. The country can transform #GiveToGain into real economic and social returns. By investing in women today, Kenya gains inclusive growth, stronger institutions, and a more equitable economy, demonstrating that targeted and well-managed WEE investments are essential for achieving the nation’s development vision.
This blog has been authored by Victoria Justus, Senior Program Officer at the Institute of Public Finance.
