Date of Implementation: Shibuye started the implementation of Fair for All program in August 2021 to date. The expected end of the program is December 2025.

Total Number of Beneficiaries: Currently, the total number of beneficiaries under the Fair for All program is approximately 4,800 including women, youth, people living with disabilities and men from the 6 counties.

How many women and men are involved in Women Empowerment Initiatives of the F4A Programme: We working with a total of 42 groups with an average of 25 members giving us 1,050 members of whom 75% (788) are grassroots women, 21% youth (220) and 4% (42) are men. Additionally, People Living with Disabilities, affected by HIV/AIDS and widows constitute 11% (116) of the total population.

Shibuye undertakes the following initiatives under Pathway 1:

• Co-creation of Alternative Business Models/practices (ABMs) which are resilient, inclusive and sustainable for grassroots women. For the last 3 years in the fair4All program, Shibuye has co-created 5 ABMs for grassroots women:

• In Homa Bay County we have constructed 4 fish ponds for grassroots women as an alternative to seeking fish from the fresh Lake Victoria; where women face sex for fish/fish for sex violence famously known as JABOYA from the fisher men. JABOYA is a local name for fishermen boyfriends who offer fish for sex in return. This vice as led to an alarming rise in HIV/AIDS infections in Homa Bay County.
• In Siaya County, we have empowered grassroots to access land for agriculture through land leasing. Sensitization meetings were held in the County on the land leasing through formalized land lease guidelines developed by Shibuye. Grassroots women secured a 2-acre piece of land for 10 years through formalized land leasing process which they use as their learning center to train peers and replicate in individual households. Additionally, the women under TATRO organization have leased a total 13 acres of land where they produce sweet potato vines and tubers for the local markets where demand is still high.
• In Kajiado County, Shibuye is collaborating with Rural Women Network, a local community-based organization and Ushanga Initiative, a national government initiative; to train grassroots women beadwork producers on how to produce quality beadworks in an efficient way and access the wider market. The groups have already formed and registered 3 cooperative societies which will enable the women to co-design, co-produce, co-market their products and commercialize the enterprise.
• In Kakamega County, Shibuye in collaboration with 3 local women groups successfully established a women led community learning, livelihood and climate information center where diverse practices have been established for the community to learn and replicate. The center seats on 1-acre piece of land, leased for 6 year period.
• Training and capacity building of women groups best practices including:
  
  • Climate literacy and information sharing
  • Food security
  • Nutrition security
  • Women land rights e.g., land leasing and disinheritance
  • Financial inclusion
  • Climate Resilient practices
  • Systems strengthening e.g., group dynamics, group needs and capacity assessments, ToT retraining etc.
• Sensitization and awareness raising activities in communities on:
  
  • Rights violations e.g. women land rights
  • Land lease guidelines
  • Food and nutritional security

We have also accomplished the following under Pathway 3:

• Policy advocacy, influencing and lobbying: through local-local dialogues, sensitization meetings, round table meetings and workshops, we have been able to influence policy holders in county governments e.g.:

• Institutionalize the land lease guidelines into a county policy document in Kakamega County.
• Popularized the land lease guidelines and Haki Ardhi tools outside Kakamega County including Siaya, Trans-Nzoia and Homa Bay counties (which depicts similar challenges as those in Kakamega).
• Have an annual Governor’s Day with farmers in Kakamega- an event where farmers meet in person with policy holders from the county to share their needs, aspirations and plans in the agriculture sector through a farmers’ declaration.
• Sensitization of stakeholders in Homa Bay county for the replication of Governor’s Day with Farmers- learning from Kakamega county.
• Representation of grassroots groups, especially women in county budget planning and implementation in Kisumu county.

How many women’s organizations are involved in the Women Empowerment Initiatives of the F4A Programme? What are their names?

• We work with 42 groups from the 6 counties in diverse value chains under agriculture and artisans.
• In the 6 counties, we work with 12 CSOs who coordinate the other groups and they include:

• Rural Women Network in Kajiado County-Beadworks and horticulture (African leafy Vegetables).
• Vevata, 11 sisters and Kueta na Kuika women groups in Makueni county- poultry and horticulture farming.
• Stepping Stone, Power Positive and Tumaini CBOs in Homa Bay county- Fish farming in ponds and horticulture.
• Winam grassroots CBO in Kisumu County- poultry, cassava and horticulture farming.
• TATRO CBO in Siaya county- Sweet potato vines and tubers through land leasing.
• Shirumba, Ebukhang’a and Madioli women farmer groups coordinate other women groups in Kakamega County-village sving and lending associations, horticulture, basketry and bee keeping.

We implement Fair4All in Kenya where WEE is a thematic focus in the following countries:

1. Kakamega
2. Siaya
3. Homa Bay
4. Kisumu
5. Kajiado
6. Makueni

1. Huairou Commission (HC)
   HC is a women-led social movement of grassroots groups working to improve the lives of women, their families, and communities. The commission’s goal is to ensure that grassroots women have a specific space in the women’s movement and to institutionalize their public leadership for grassroots women across the globe. Shibuye is a member of HC focusing on women economic empowerment though a participatory approach in Kenya.
2. Kenya Land Alliance (KLA)
   KLA is a network of civil society organizations and individuals that advocate for land policy reform in Kenya. The KLA’s goal is to ensure secure and equitable access to land and natural resources, and to allow people to develop sustainable livelihoods in Kenya. Shibuye is also a member of KLA and both organizations work collaboratively to ensure grassroots women securely and equitably access and control land for agriculture and food security; through land leasing and seamless reporting of land-related violations through an free toll SMS platform known as Haki Ardhi tool.
3. TMG Research Berlin
   TMG is a not-for-profit, trans disciplinary research organization guided by the overall goal of fostering inclusive processes for driving transformative socioeconomic change within planetary boundaries. Shibuye collaborates with TMG to foster an inclusive process where all farmers especially grassroots women in Kakamega County can have a voice on issues affecting them in agriculture value chain. Through this collaboration, the Governor’s Day with Farmers became a reality in Kakamega county with close collaboration from Kenya National Federation of Farmers and the County Government of Kakamega departments of agriculture, cooperatives and gender too. The annual event brings together farmers and county agricultural policy gatekeepers (including the Governor) on a round table meeting; to bridge the gaps in the agricultural sector policy priority setting; where farmers are at the center of implementation.
4. National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC)
   NGEC is a constitutional commission in Kenya that promotes gender equality and freedom from discrimination. The NGEC’s goal is to promote gender equality and freedom from discrimination. Shibuye collaborates with the commission to ensure women rights and freedoms are reserved though joint sensitization and awareness creation meetings, training and workshops that foster equality and women economic empowerment.
5. Kenya National Federation of Farmers (Kenaff)
6. County departments of Gender, Agriculture and Cooperatives in the 6 countries of project implementation

Key issues affecting women’s agency and economic empowerment:

• Limited access to productive resources
• Limited representation in key governance structures
• Negative impacts of climate change
• Gender discrimination and bias
• Unpaid care work i.e. caregiving and household chores
• Legal and policy barriers e.g. disinheritance and property ownership
• Gender Based Violence against women (very common in the local context)

1. Skills training and capacity building: Shibuye train grassroots women on diverse practices such as climate smart farming, value addition, packaging, access to markets, village lending and saving associations (VSLA), financial literacy, leadership skills and organizing etc. These programs aim at building the needed skills and knowledge to sustain their practices and incomes.
2. Advocacy and policy engagement: Shibuye advocates for policies that promote women’s economic empowerment by engaging policymakers and stakeholders at Ward, Sub-County, County and national level e.g. the Governor’s Day with Farmers and Land lease guidelines.
3. Sensitization and awareness creation: Shibuye conducts regular sensitization and awareness creation in communities on women land rights, reproductive health, food security and nutrition etc. The meetings aim at raising awareness among women to as a pathway to economic empowerment.

1. Limited resources: Securing funding that is sustainable to support WEE programs and activities remain the biggest challenge. Adequate funding is crucial for the implementation of WEE programs beyond the current 6 counties.
2. Access to fair markets: Our efforts to link women groups with fair markets for their products within the country have been remarkable. However, consistency in production, competition from foreign entrepreneurs and the general performance of the economy hinders women to participate fully in this ‘middle-men’ dominated node in the value chains.
3. The digital divide: In the local context, grassroots women tend to have limited skills in using digital equipment be it in production, processing marketing. Digital tools have become necessary in today’s digital economy e.g. online sourcing and marketing; which majority of grassroots women lack.
4. Limited access to technology: The grassroots women have limited access to machineries especially for value addition. Value addition limits postharvest losses and also increases the cost value of the product.
5. Limited capacities in branding, licensing and certification of women products: Women entrepreneurs often lack the necessary skills, resources, and understanding to successfully brand, license, and certify their products. This limitation may impede their capacity to effectively promote their products, safeguard their intellectual property through licensing agreements, and achieve industry certification criteria.
6. Monitoring and evaluation: Effectively monitoring and evaluating the impact of our WEE interventions is crucial for measuring success and identifying areas for improvement. Developing robust monitoring and evaluation frameworks can be a challenge, especially in resource-constrained settings.

1. The importance of tailored approaches: Women’s economic empowerment activities must be tailored to the individual needs and settings of the intended recipients. One-size-fits-all solutions may not be successful in addressing the unique issues that women encounter in various circumstances. Effectively monitoring and evaluating the impact of our WEE interventions is crucial for measuring success and identifying areas for improvement. Developing robust monitoring and evaluation frameworks can be a challenge, especially in resource-constrained settings.
2. Holistic Support: Providing comprehensive support, including skill training, access to funding, mentorship, and networking opportunities, is critical to the success of women entrepreneurs. A holistic approach can help women overcome many challenges and increase their chances of success.
3. Empowerment through Education: Investing in women’s education and skill development is essential for their economic emancipation. Equipping women with suitable information and skills can enhance their confidence and allow them to embrace economic possibilities.
   

4. Promoting Gender-Inclusive Policies: Advocating for gender-inclusive policies and fostering a supportive atmosphere for female entrepreneurs is critical. Addressing legal and regulatory impediments can help level the playing field and encourage women to participate in the economy.
   

5. Measuring impact: M&E is essential for determining the efficacy and identifying areas for improvement. Establishing strong monitoring and evaluation frameworks can assist track progress and make informed decisions about future actions.
   

6. Creating Partnerships: Collaboration with government agencies, NGOs, private sector partners, and other stakeholders is critical for optimizing the impact of women’s economic empowerment projects. Building great collaborations can help women entrepreneurs harness their resources and expertise more efficiently.
   
   

Opportunities currently being implemented to address challenges to promote women’s economic empowerment in the project

• Formation of a ToT model with an inventory of all ToTs from the 6 counties to ensure seamless training and information sharing among the groupsLimited access to productive resources.
• Formation and registration of women led cooperative societies to commercialize their business and compete effectively in market.
• Strengthening the groups and livelihood centers.
• Regular training and capacity building of groups based on needed capacities and skills by the ToTs.
• Increasing networks and partnerships with industry experts, government agencies, CSOs and women peers.
• Enhanced policy influencing, advocacy and lobbying.
• Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning.

Opportunities in the future to promote women empowerment and visibility of women in your projects/F4A Programme

• The opportunities for promoting women’s empowerment and visibility in the F4A Programme include leveraging technology and innovation to create tailored digital platforms, expanding access to finance through various initiatives, strengthening partnerships with key stakeholders, advocating for gender-inclusive policies, conducting research and data analysis to understand women entrepreneurs’ challenges, and engaging with local communities to raise awareness and support women-owned businesses.

Best practices

• Shibuye is proud of the land lease guidelines co-deigned and co-developed by grassroots women. The land lease guidelines have empowered women farmers by ensuring equitable access to land, promoting gender equality in ownership and leasing, securing land for cultivation, improving economic status, addressing land rights and tenure security, and contributing to sustainable agricultural development, poverty reduction, and gender equality in rural communities.

In the upcoming years, our WEE initiatives will focus on expanding outreach, introducing tailored training programs and resources for women entrepreneurs, building strategic partnerships, advocating for policy changes, and conducting research to inform interventions. These efforts aim to create a supportive environment for women entrepreneurs, fostering their economic development and resilience.

Full name: Samuel Mutata
Position: Fair4All Program Coordinator
Organization: Shibuye Community Health Worker
Email address: sammymutata@gmail.com