WOMEN ENTERPRISE FUND STRATEGIC PLAN LAUNCH COMING SOON!!!!.

The launch of the first Women Enterprise Fund Strategic Plan covering the period 2009 – 2012 is an important milestone in the life of the nascent institution that was established in August, 2007 and commenced operations in 2008.

As a pioneer board, we are in an enviable position of providing a shared vision and laying a solid foundation for an institution that will play an instrumental and effective role in women empowerment and gender equality. The strategic plan provides the clear path that we will pursue towards this bigger noble goal.

The formulation of this plan involved a broad cross-section of stakeholders both from within the parent ministry and externally. The consultative process which begun in July 2009 was aimed at ensuring ownership of the final document. Potential development partners were constructively engaged to enable them articulate their possible areas of future support.

The Fund’s mandates capture the perennial challenges that have chained women to poverty through marginalization or exclusion from access to economic resources and opportunities. This include access to credit, business development support services like capacity building, decent and secure market infrastructure, information on markets and linkages with big companies. These challenges are accentuated by inhibitive cultural practices that consign women to the periphery of the formal economy. The enormity of tasks facing the Fund in terms of scope, depth and diversity of women (nb. there are various levels of exclusion depending on a woman’s level of education, ethnicity, religion, marital status, age, etc) calls for innovative, creative and holistic solutions. It can no longer be business as usual but rather “business unusual approach”. Greater success and satisfaction is derived when one achieves disproportionate results using minimal resources.

The strategic plan for the period sets out very clear goals and strategies that will be implemented in execution of the Fund’s legal mandates. We are cognizant of the fact that a robust vessel is critical in getting to ones destination. Institutional strengthening of the Fund in terms of legal independence, staffing and automation are a priority. Given the difficult times the country is going through as a result of the global economic meltdown, the drought and famine affecting more than ten million Kenyans, resources flow from the government may not be guaranteed.
The Fund will therefore pursue a business partnership model with like-minded partners to mobilize financial, technical and other forms of support. We believe that the partnership approach will provide us with the necessary leverage to achieve greater impact.

The achievement of the ambitious targets in this plan will require sacrifice, self-discipline, determination, commitment, focus, integrity, smart work and a good dose of faith. I am confident that the board, management and other stakeholders have what it takes to make this noble idea work in an effective and sustainable manner in empowering women.

To conclude, my clarion call is for each one of us, individually and collectively to rededicate ourselves to the realization of goals set in this plan, which are critical building blocks to the grand objective of women empowerment and gender equality. In our life time we can enable millions of women to work their way out of poverty through this Fund and by so doing we will have created prosperous families, hence our motto, “you empower a woman, you empower a family and a whole nation”.

Ms. Rose N. Ogega, MBS
Chairperson