UAE Injects Ksh1.9 Billion to Train Women for Govt Tender Success

The United Arab Emirates has issued a Ksh1.94 billion sponsorship towards empowering women to go for government tenders.

According to a statement shared with media houses, the project is aimed at training women with the necessary skills to challenge government tenders.

The sponsorship is under the partnership between Kenya and the UN Women Kenya dubbed the Strategic Partnership Framework (UAE – SPF) Project. The goal of the project is to accelerate gender equality and women’s economic empowerment.

The three-year project, covering 2024-2027, will specifically strengthen affirmative procurement opportunities within the private sector and the UN system, according to Antonia Ngabala-Sodonon, Country Representative, UN Women Kenya Country Office.

“The United Arab Emirates has funded the Strategic Partnership Framework (UAE-SPF) Project to a tune of $15 million, about Ksh1.94 billion in the current exchange rates,” asserted the UN Women in a statement to media houses.

Government tenders make up one of the largest portions of state expenditure, with the estimated value in recent years exceeding Ksh3 trillion annually.

The law mandates that 30 per cent of government procurement budgets be reserved for women, youth, and persons with disabilities. In the financial year 2022/23, these groups secured tenders worth Ksh45.1 billion, with women receiving the largest share, winning contracts valued at Ksh24.87 billion.

However, challenges such as low awareness, stringent requirements, and delayed payments have occasionally hindered full participation and utilisation by women. Antonia notes that, currently, the uptake of this affirmative allocation stands at 17 per cent.

According to UN Women, barriers such as limited access to assets and productive resources, finance, education, and training often lead to the over-representation of women in low-wage, low-skilled, and precarious jobs, which continue to hinder their ability to win public procurement tenders.

“The Project will build on the progress of Access to Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO) and other frameworks within the private sector, such as Women Empowerment Principles (WEPs) and the UN system. This will ensure that gender-responsive procurement is not only a policy but a practice that delivers a measurable impact on increased women’s incomes and economic empowerment,” explained the UN Women.

The government hopes that this growth will enable Kenyan women to compete for tenders even beyond the country’s borders.

UN Women aims for the programme to create employment opportunities for more women, who face higher unemployment rates than men, reflecting broader gender disparities in labour market participation.

Available data shows that women are under-represented in sectors like trade and construction, which traditionally have higher employment rates.

While precise ratios fluctuate annually, surveys and reports generally indicate that the unemployment gap can range between 5 per cent and 15 per cent more for women than men.