Advancing the role of women in economic spaces in Kenya

1.There is need to structure communities to allow women to thrive through:

• Building spaces that allow them to voice out
• through increased advocacy for women rights especially in areas where such rights have not been recognized.
• Recognizing women in leadership, and pushing and supporting women representation in leadership position
• Supporting women at home and at work especially in areas where the value of women is not legitimized
• Supporting women in the society level for example in the institutions that offer loans and also in societies and cultures that believe that women count for nothing more that cooks and house-helps

2. If you are thinking about being an entrepreneur and you don’t know where to start; do the following three things

• Understand your motivation
• Understand your customer
• Choose the right marketing tactics for you

3. If you are a seasoned business owner, you can choose to do the following:

• An assessment to know how you can do things differently and more efficiently
• Prioritize on things that needs quick attention and are likely to fetch more
• Take action and where necessary ask for help from people who can support your growth

4. If you are working in a company or an organization, there are things that you can do to make sure you have a seat at the table while you also take care of your wellbeing

• Reflect and speak up: This will help to build your personal brand
• Do not be afraid to lead and fail; you can embrace your flaws and show people that you are open and receptive to feedback
• Find a mentor you can trust and seek advice from because leadership involves decision making

5. If you are a man, there is so much that you can do to help women occupy the economic spaces

• Listen to the women because they might have ideas that will not only propel them to the heights but also help you to realize your greatest potential as a man
• Be a champion in supporting the course of women progress and push for policies that will create a good environment for their functioning
• Support them personally and professionally so as to expand their opportunities for economic power

6. Women success barriers and Solution for success

1. Comparison: It’s better to learn from others rather than compare oneself to others but the greatest temptation always lies at comparing oneself with others. learn to compete with yourself.
2. Bringing back the negative past: If you failed before, doesn’t mean that you will fail now, challenge yourself and remember that failure is always an opportunity to be better
3. Lack of Focus: Don’t lose focus of the antelope because of a passing squirrel. Barriers will always be there, just remembering, they are not meant to bring down but they are mean to sink you deeper in reflection to fly highest
4. Inconsistency: Remember that the definition of success is staying on the road. There is nothing you will achieve through several deviations and diversions
5. Not setting goals and boundaries: stay on what you want to achieve, sometimes this means setting boundaries on thing and people that might stand in the way.

7. Conclusion

Any development strategy that does not put women in consideration is bound to be slow or fail entirely. That is one reason that can explain why many African countries are still below the economic bar. Despite the fact that, their voices, contribution and participation are beginning to be acknowledged by the different leadership structures, the women in African have been sidelined in the economic spaces that has by extension lowered the nation’s economic position. It is both important and urgent to involve and support women in creating and occupying economic spaces in any given country.