KIPPRA has concluded a two-week county sensitization programme aimed at promoting the implementation of the National Policy on Women Economic Empowerment (NPWEE) and the National Care Policy (NCP) across seven counties.
The sensitization workshops, held from 11th to 24th June 2026, brought together senior county government officials from Bungoma, Busia, Kisumu, Nandi, Kajiado, Vihiga and Kakamega counties. The initiative was undertaken by KIPPRA in support of the State Department for Gender and Affirmative Action and the State Department for Children Services, which are spearheading the implementation of the two national policies.
Supported by the Gates Foundation, the workshops sought to enhance county-level understanding of the policies, build capacity for implementation, and facilitate dialogue on integrating women’s economic empowerment and care considerations into county planning, budgeting and monitoring frameworks.
Participants were sensitized on the key provisions of the NPWEE, including its thematic priorities, implementation framework, and opportunities for county governments to accelerate women’s participation in economic activities. Discussions on the National Care Policy focused on the status of care in Kenya, the 5R Framework – Recognize, Reduce, Redistribute, Reward and Represent care work – and the role of counties in addressing unpaid and underpaid care responsibilities.
KIPPRA also disseminated findings from the Women Opportunities Index (WOI) and the County Care Indices (CCI), which provide evidence on disparities in women’s access to economic opportunities and the state of care services across counties. The indices are expected to support counties in identifying gaps, prioritizing interventions and tracking progress towards gender-responsive and inclusive development.
In addition, participants were presented with evidence generated under the Leveraging Evidence for Women Economic Empowerment and Care Policy Implementation Project, including policy briefs on the economic valuation of care work, care work value added in Kenya from a gender perspective, and the cost-benefit analysis of investing in care infrastructure.
