The Economic Impact of The Covid-19 Pandemic on Women’s Empowerment in Kenya

Abstract

Kenya has made significant progress in the empowerment of women. However, the outbreak of the corona virus (COVID-19) threatens to erase the gains made over the past decades and exacerbate pre-existing gender inequalities. As the pandemic continues to wreak havoc in the world, it has become clear that it has affected men and women differently. Specifically, it stands on the way of women’s economic empowerment. The article explores the economic impact of COVID-19 on women’s empowerment in Kenya. The paper is based on a desktop review of secondary information available on the internet, different websites, newspapers, and journals. The review revealed that the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on women include loss of jobs and incomes, reduced labour force participation, disruption of livelihoods, increased unpaid care and domestic work, rising incidences of gender-based violence, and psychosocial and health problems. The article concludes that the COVID-19 pandemic has undermined efforts to promote women’s empowerment and gender equality in Kenya. The review suggests that significant efforts need to be made by the government and other interested stakeholders to empower women and girls to cope with and survive the social, cultural, and economic hardships wrought by the pandemic as well as enable women reclaim their diminishing level of economic empowerment during the pandemic. There is an urgent need for gender disaggregated empirical data to aid policy planners and actors in creating gender-balanced responses and sustainable strategies for countering the challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, including its gendered impacts.