KEPSA Foundation Executive Director, Ms Gloria Ndekei met with the Women Entrepreneurs Associations (WEAs) leaders on 24^th February 2023 at the KEPSA offices with an aim to reflect on the Status and progress of the WEAs in offering effective services to their members.

Present at the meeting were Chairs and representatives of; 1.  Association of Women Exporters in Commercial Craft, (Veronica Engelman) 2.  Handloom Weavers Co-operative Society, (Rose Mwathi) 3.  Kenya Women Coffee Producers, (Caroline Ndehi) 4. Organization of Women in International Trade (OWIT), (Pauline Okubasu) 5. Kenya Association of Women Business Owners (KAWBO), (Mercy Waithanji) 6. Kenya Association of Women in Tourism (KAWT), (Jane Adams and Jacqueline Kali) 7. African Women Agribusiness Network (AWAN), (Elizabeth Thande) 8. Alternatives IYEPA, (Waithira Gaitho), 9. Afri-women Connect, (Jackie Malomba) and 10. Professional Women Empowered (PROWE) presented by (Constantine Kandie).

The discussions reflected on areas of Associations’ Governance and Membership, Business Capacity and WEAs expectations from KEPSA. They appreciated that the country had moved from traditional challenges, noting that technology had revolutionized business competitiveness globally and Kenya had not been left behind. They expressed some challenges that inhibited the associations from providing effective services to their members and underscored the need to collectively work smarter. Issues of the Association’s sustainability through governance structures were raised where they sighted barriers in the transitions due to limited handover processes by previous leadership making it very difficult for current leaders to run the associations.

Further, gender-related biases and challenges within and external continued to put prejudiced assumptions on women’s businesses including mutual ignorance about each other needs and qualities compared to how the male gender conducted business. The lack of proper escalation of business issues through membership partnerships was also discussed.

The meeting identified the following as initiatives that could be undertaken to spur the revival, growth, and visibility of the Women Entrepreneurs Associations;

• Capacity building of the WEAs members and leaders through training and mentorship geared towards strengthening the associations
• KEPSA Foundation to provide increased WEAs visibility platforms for networking and Business linkages
•  Increased training and adoption of technological solutions for the associations and their members. They agreed to engage youth associations and their members for digital skills
•  The need to benchmark and adapt best practices from WEAs from thriving countries.
• Develop partnerships between Associations in the KEPSA Foundation Network and Regional and International/Global Women networks and Alliances.
• The WEAs agreed to bring Women in Boards in the KEPSA WEAs network