STATEMENT DURING THE COMMEMORATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE RURAL WOMEN 2025

The National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC) joins Kenya and the rest of the world in celebrating the International Day of Rural Women (IDRW), which is marked annually on the 15th of October. This Day was established in recognition of the critical role and contribution of rural women enhancing agricultural and rural development, improving food security, and eradicating rural poverty.

This year’s theme is “Rural Women Cultivating Resilience and Driving Sustainable Change”.

Rural women form the backbone of agricultural production and the informal rural economy. According to the 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census, women constitute 76% of Kenya’s agricultural labour force, providing the majority of labour in crop and livestock production, post-harvest processing, and marketing. The agriculture sector contributes about 33% to Kenya’s GDP and supports nearly 70% of rural livelihoods.

Despite their substantial contribution to Kenya’s agricultural and rural economy, women remain disproportionately excluded from access to and control over productive resources. Available data indicate that only 27 percent of Kenyan women own land, and only 13% of those who own agricultural land have their names on the title deeds. 73.6% of women in Kenya are engaged in vulnerable or informal employment, compared to 56.4% of men.

The Constitution guarantees the right to equality and freedom from discrimination and the right to food. The Land Registration Act (Cap. 300), Matrimonial Property Act (Cap. 49), and Community Land Act (Cap. 21) safeguard women’s rights to own, inherit, and jointly register land. National frameworks such as the National Gender and Development Policy (2019), Agricultural Sector Transformation and Growth Strategy (ASTGS 2019–2029), National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP), and the Women’s Economic Empowerment Strategy demonstrate the country’s commitment to gender equality and inclusive growth. At the county level, some governments have introduced initiatives to promote joint land titling, establish women farmers’ cooperatives, and improve access to credit. Still, rural women continue to face systemic barriers. Weak enforcement of land and inheritance rights, inadequate gender-responsive budgeting, limited access to credit, technology, and markets, and underrepresentation in agricultural and governance structures continue to marginalise them. Additionally, gender norms and unequal power relations restrict their participation in decision-making, while unpaid care responsibilities and vulnerabilities to climate change, conflict, and gender-based violence deepen their exclusion.

 

As we commemorate this day, the Commission calls upon the Government and all stakeholders to, among others:

1. Enforce land and property rights to guarantee women’s ownership and control of productive resources.
2. Allocate dedicated resources for rural women’s empowerment and agricultural participation.
3. Enhance women’s inclusion in governance, agricultural value chains, and climate action initiatives.
4. Invest in rural infrastructure: water, energy, digital connectivity, and childcare facilities to reduce unpaid care work and increase rural women's productivity.
5. Facilitate access to affordable credit, agricultural technologies, digital innovations, and market information.
6. Eliminate cultural and harmful practices that undermine women’s roles in sustainable food systems and rural development.

The Commission commends the Government, private sector, development partners, and civil society organisations for their continued collaboration in expanding economic opportunities for rural women and promoting inclusive agricultural value chains. We call upon rural women to continue leveraging empowerment initiatives, financial inclusion programs, and affirmative action opportunities offered by both state and non-state actors.

 

 

On our part, we reiterate our commitment to promoting gender equality and freedom from discrimination, including for rural women.

 

 

 

Happy International Day of Rural Women!

Hon. Rehema Jaldesa

CHAIRPERSON