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UN Women Kenya Convenes Historic Market Access Summit to Champion Gender-Inclusive Trade
Gerald Kombo
October 23, 2025
Dan Bazira calls for bridging gap between continental trade policies and grassroots women entrepreneurs at landmark Nairobi gathering
Nairobi, October 21, 2025
UN Women Kenya partnered with Business Week Afrika and the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) Nairobi branch to convene a transformative Market Access Summit at Bao Box, Westlands, bringing together over 1,000 entrepreneurs, policymakers, and trade officials to address systemic barriers facing women in cross-border commerce.
Dr. James Mwaura, Chairman of KNCCI Nairobi County, set the tone for the summit with a powerful declaration:
Dan Bazira, Deputy Representative of UN Women Kenya, delivered a powerful call to action emphasizing the agency's unwavering commitment to gender parity and women's economic empowerment:
"Women are the backbone of African economies. We must ensure they receive adequate attention by addressing structural barriers that hinder their business activities."
The Infrastructure Reality Check
Bazira highlighted a stark reality undermining regional integration: shipping containers from China to Mombasa costs less than transporting them from Mombasa to Uganda. This infrastructure challenge exemplifies how logistics barriers prevent African women entrepreneurs from accessing regional markets despite favorable continental policy frameworks.
"I need to talk to the big guys and start to discuss some of these things," Bazira said, underscoring UN Women's role in strategic partnerships across public and private sectors. "Working with you as a business forum enables our work to move faster."
From Macro Policies to Grassroots Impact
While acknowledging the transformative potential of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) for 1.4 billion people, Bazira posed critical questions about implementation:
"How are we taking care of that woman within the informal sector? We come out with so many normative frameworks and address them at the macro level. But my interest is, where is she benefiting from as she does her daily business?"
Bazira, who hails from Uganda, used the example of his own mother in a village to illustrate the gap between high-level trade agreements and daily realities for women entrepreneurs. "My interest is to say, where is she? How much is being exported? But my interest is having that enabling environment," he emphasized.
UN Women's Collaborative Strategy
Bazira reaffirmed UN Women's commitment to working across the UN system, including with UNDP and other agencies, to leverage complementary mandates that champion women entrepreneurs:
"We join hands with all actors, including the UN system. I know my colleague from UNDP is here. We work with different UN agencies across their mandates to ensure that we bring together the mindsets and mandates that each UN agency was afforded to champion women and girls, particularly entrepreneurs."
The agency's approach focuses on addressing structural barriers through strategic partnerships not only in the public sector but extensively with the private sector. "As long as you open our doors and we continue to engage, we'll make sure that we uphold each other for the betterment of women entrepreneurs," Bazira told KNCCI representatives.
Elizabeth Obada Unveils UN's Multi-Billion Dollar Expansion
Elizabeth Obada, Women Economic Empowerment Lead at UN Women Kenya, outlined transformative opportunities emerging from the United Nations' historic expansion in Nairobi, describing how the UN at 80 initiative will create massive demand for goods and services from local entrepreneurs.
"I don't know how many of you have been listening to the UN at 80 and conversations around moving the UN strongly to Nairobi," Obada stated. "I was listening to the Director General speaking and she was saying that we want to grow Nairobi to the extent that it can accommodate an assembly, a UN assembly."
The implications are staggering:
"When you accommodate a UN assembly, you're saying that you have 193 member countries in Nairobi. And they come with delegations. So you can imagine what that means. They have to be transported, isn't it? There is transport, there are transport needs. They have to be accommodated--there are accommodation needs. They have to be fed--there are feeding needs, there are catering needs. There are printing needs. There are stationery needs."
Multi-Billion Dollar Supply Opportunities
Obada emphasized how this expansion translates into concrete business opportunities:
"So you ask yourself, how many of our small businesses are keenly thinking about that? How many of our small businesses are now preparing to get into that space? Because there will be procurement. And where will the procurement come from? It will come from you."
Currently, the UN Office in Nairobi stands as the only UN headquarters in the Global South. The expansion includes three major UN agencies moving their global headquarters to Kenya, creating what amounts to a multi-billion dollar procurement ecosystem.
"Even today, they're doing, isn't it? Even today, they're procuring. How are you getting access to those contracts? How many of you have registered in terms of having that UNGM number? If you don't even have the number, you cannot get the contracts," Obada cautioned.
Practical Steps for Market Access
Obada outlined concrete requirements for entrepreneurs to access UN procurement opportunities:
"First of all, what is it that you have to sell? What is it that you have to sell that meets the international standards? And I think the international standards are in place to enable equitable kind of competition. Because if we didn't have standards, that means that somebody can bring in anything."
She addressed concerns about youth-led businesses meeting international standards: "You have to demonstrate that you have capacity. And the entry level is the UNGM. Once you get into the UNGM, then you're able to participate in bids. And when you participate in bids, you'll find that the bid, the tender has certain requirements."
Obada emphasized the importance of immediate preparation:
"But if you're smart, you ask yourself, they have just gotten the go-ahead to do this expansion. What do they require? The UN is here. We can go ask them, what is it that you're going to be needing in the next three years for the expansion of this? And then you now begin to think, where are you positioned in relation to getting access to those needs?"
She encouraged entrepreneurs to think strategically: "We also have to think, where is it that we are positioned? Is it in consultancy? Is it in stationery? Is it in catering? Where are we strongly positioned? And once we know where we are strongly positioned, you begin to craft the right pitch."
Obada called for entrepreneurs to organize collectively:
"Get involved in forums such as this one. Ask the questions. Come together to form associations that can help you negotiate for better prices. Because if you're selling your bids at a very, very low price, you're also killing your business."
She concluded with encouragement: "So it's a conversation that I think we can begin to have beyond here. But also have conversations within your own spaces where you're saying, 'I want to enter this market. I want to enter this market as a small business.' Is it hospitality? Is it technology? Is it consultancy? What is it that you want to do? And then you begin to think about, 'Let me reach out to the UN offices here.'"
Pakistan Demonstrates Gender-Responsive Trade Results
Ms. Adeela Younis, Commercial Counsellor at the Pakistan High Commission in Kenya and the first female Pakistani trade official posted to an African country, demonstrated that gender-inclusive trade policies deliver measurable economic results.
Despite facing initial resistance from colleagues and family who questioned the safety of a female officer in Africa, Younis accepted the posting and achieved remarkable outcomes. Within her first year overseeing Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Mauritius, and Madagascar, she increased Pakistan-Kenya trade by 25%.
"Most people told me to refuse that posting and wait when you are offered that in any European country or America where you have completed my studies. Even my family told me it's dangerous as a woman," Younis recalled. "But I didn't listen to everybody around me. I thought that I have learned a lot about Africa in my development studies degree. I want to go there and experience what's going on."
Women-Led Delegations Close $10 Million in Deals
Younis organized four trade delegations between Pakistan and Ethiopia with 40-50% female participation, ensuring women entrepreneurs had equal access to business opportunities:
"Among these delegations, 40 to 50% were female delegates, and those were serious buyers. They made deals, and those deals were more than $10 million between Pakistan and Kenya."
"Business is not only economic activity. It is empowerment to women, giving you a leadership role, giving you a role to employ other people," Younis emphasized.
She challenged women to "look inward" beyond external barriers:
"Of course, we have many issues--gender gap, harassment issues, pay gap--and we believe that we are being discriminated. But if we look inward, are we taking challenging assignments as men do? Are we accepting initiatives? We need to take more initiatives. We need to take assignments to come up and prove that we are equal human beings."
Quoting poet Maya Angelou, Younis declared:
"Each time a woman stands up for herself, she stands up for all women. As it came out, let me tell you how I stand out for myself and for other women as well."
Younis announced another sponsored trade delegation to Pakistan, inviting Kenyan entrepreneurs to participate in upcoming exhibitions focused on textiles, agriculture, and value-added products. "Next time I'm taking another delegation. All women and men are invited to come and join me to Pakistan. Most of these exhibitions are sponsored, so any interested people can go with me to Pakistan," she invited.
Felix Chege Launches Africa Trade Gateway Revolution
Felix Chege, Founder and CEO of Real Sources Africa and AfCFTA Secretariat representative, presented groundbreaking solutions for leveraging technology to overcome logistics barriers and enhance regional competitiveness.
"How can we leverage technology in the area of logistics for us to be able to be competitive, to give us that competitive advantage within the region?" Chege posed, before unveiling the solution his organization has pioneered.
Introducing the Africa Trade Gateway
"A couple of weeks ago, we just launched a program on a platform called the Africa Trade Gateway in Kenya," Chege announced:
"The Africa Trade Gateway is a digital infrastructure that has been created by three organizations: the African Export-Import Bank, AfCFTA, and Real Sources Africa."
The platform represents a revolutionary approach to digital trade:
"What we've done is that we've built an infrastructure that can support digital trade in terms of onboarding as many exporters as we can, having capabilities to match inquiries to suppliers, and being able to track the execution of each and every inquiry focusing on four types of inquiries: commodity, investments, financing, and finally, services."
Current Scale and Impact
As of October 2025, the Africa Trade Gateway platform has achieved remarkable scale:
35 countries with active presence
$3.5 billion in active trade inquiries
35,000 active business partners
9,000 registered importers and exporters
Solving the Execution Gap
Chege identified the critical challenge facing African entrepreneurs:
"Internet has given us the capability to communicate. We share inquiries, we receive inquiries. But the problem starts when that inquiry is shared. Who will supply? How do we secure payments? How do we guarantee consistency of supply? That is where the main challenge actually lies."
He outlined the old bureaucratic nightmare: "A buyer walks into the Kenya Embassy in Ethiopia looking for tea. They write a letter. Attach a company profile. That letter goes to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Then to the Ministry of Trade. Then to the Chamber of Commerce. Finally, someone scouts for suppliers."
"Let's cut off that entire story," Chege demanded. "How are we able to link that particular inquiry with a specific importer and exporter, for them to start quoting immediately, so that we're able to get rid of the information lag or gap?"
Digital Platform Launch December 3, 2025
Chege announced a major milestone:
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is rolling out a platform where all Kenyan trade officers globally can key in trade inquiries directly. You'll be able to quote immediately when someone in Ethiopia, Rwanda, or DRC needs your product."
The ecosystem officially launches December 3, 2025, as part of the integrated Africa Trade Gateway infrastructure.
TradeConnect Initiative: 1,000 Containers in 12 Months
Chege highlighted the ambitious TradeConnect Initiative, which aims to ship 1,000 containers over the next 12 months to various African countries, showcasing Kenyan products on a continental stage.
This initiative, supported by the AfCFTA Secretariat, Ministry of Trade, Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency, TradeMark Africa, UBA Kenya, KNCCI, MSEA, and major logistics partners, demonstrates the power of public-private collaboration.
"Many African nations remain unaware of the diverse and high-quality products their neighbors manufacture. Addressing this knowledge gap through sustained market development campaigns will be pivotal for boosting intra-African trade," Chege emphasized.
Kenya-Rwanda Warehousing Pilot
Chege revealed a groundbreaking solution to the consolidation problem: the County Industrial Integration Pact, currently piloting between Kenya and Rwanda.
"Many times when you get inquiries, you realize, oh, I have an inquiry from Rwanda. But the inquiry from Rwanda is requesting 10 pieces. And for you to send 10 pieces to Rwanda, you need to consolidate with other suppliers so that you have a container load. But it takes quite some time to be able to consolidate with multiple suppliers," Chege explained the challenge.
The solution:
"We have a pilot between Kenya and Rwanda on what we call the County Industrial Integration Pact. What we're doing is leasing cube space--not a whole warehouse--in a subsidized warehousing infrastructure in Rwanda. You store your goods with the same safeguards you have in Nairobi--or better. Position your products on an e-commerce platform. Buyers order 10 pieces online and pick them up from the warehouse."
"You don't have to wait for 10 containers to be consolidated. Walk into this particular warehouse, pick the 10 pieces you're ordering online. That is the model we're positioning," Chege stated.
The model will expand to DRC, Uganda, and Tanzania in subsequent phases.
Chege emphasized the scale advantage: "If you have 10 containers going to a particular market every month, we're able to negotiate and say, we need a 20 or 30% discounted rate. But the scale has to be there."
Trade Finance Innovation
Chege advocated for innovative approaches to trade finance:
"By enabling manufacturers to use their products as collateral and leveraging credit guarantee schemes, we can secure payments and drive growth for small and medium enterprises across the continent."
He also emphasized the transformative role of empowering youth and women in trade, calling it "not just a moral imperative but a strategic advantage for driving inclusive economic growth."
The Physical-Digital Balance
Chege delivered a critical warning using China Square as an example: "If digital trade is the next frontier for African continental free trade, why is it that right now you have nine China Squares in these particular countries? Let's be honest."
His insight:
"Before we talk about digital trade, we have to enable the physical infrastructure to enable digital trade. Digital infrastructure is an enabler, but it is not the main business. The main business is having to exchange the product for the resources. That's what I want you to keep in mind."
Ethiopia Opens Africa's Second-Largest Market
H.E. Demeke Atnafu Ambulo, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to Kenya, delivered a compelling case for prioritizing intra-African trade over intercontinental commerce.
"Why do you go far away to China, to India for trade while Ethiopia, for Kenya manufacturers, for suppliers, has 130 million market close to you with easy connectivity?" Ambassador Ambulo asked, challenging the audience to rethink their trade strategies.
Ethiopia's 130 million consumers, 8% economic growth, and population that is more than 70% under 30 years old represent Africa's second-largest market after Nigeria. "The economy last year registered 8% growth. Why do you go far away from Africa while Ethiopia for Kenya manufacturers, for suppliers, has 130 million market close to you with easy connectivity?" he emphasized.
Safaricom's Groundbreaking $1.2 Billion Investment
"Not only that, Ethiopia has opened up its market which was closed for foreigners. For example, we have opened up the telecommunication sector. The first telecommunication sector that stepped in Ethiopia is not from Europe, from America, from Asia--it is Safaricom," Ambassador Ambulo announced.
Safaricom invested more than $1.2 billion in Ethiopia's telecommunications sector, becoming the first foreign telecom operator in the country. Within two years, Safaricom acquired more than 10.5 million subscribers. "If you have a Safaricom SIM card in Kenya, you don't need any SIM card in Ethiopia now. Safaricom brings together the two countries with the same SIM card," the ambassador explained.
The mobile money revolution followed swiftly: "Safaricom introduced M-Pesa mobile money communication in Ethiopia. For the last one year, it has more than close to 12 million subscribers who are using Safaricom M-Pesa," Ambassador Ambulo stated.
Banking Sector Opens for Regional Integration
Ethiopia has also opened its financial sector to foreign banks. "Kenya Commercial Bank and Equity Bank both have opened commercial representative offices in Ethiopia for the last two years. They are waiting for legislation. Now it is passed. The Equity Bank has started the process of setting up and entering Ethiopia's banking sector," Ambassador Ambulo announced.
"What does it mean? You can bring the business community of the two countries much closer, as Safaricom did. So I strongly advise, encourage you to see first what opportunities and access exist in your neighborhood rather than venturing far away. Huge opportunity exists for Ethiopian business in Kenya, for Kenyans in Ethiopia," he emphasized.
AfCFTA Implementation and Border Trade Agreements
Ethiopia recently began implementing the Africa Continental Free Trade Area, marking a significant milestone in regional integration:
"I am very happy to announce that Ethiopia last week, two weeks before, we have already started implementing the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement. As per the trade agreement, the first export from Ethiopia to other African countries is first to Kenya using the Addis Ababa-Nairobi road corridor, and the second was to Somalia and to South Africa."
Beyond AfCFTA, Ethiopia and Kenya have signed a simplified border trade agreement that will transform cross-border commerce. "In order to enhance trade, to boost people's relationships, to bring peace and security in the border area, we have signed with the Kenya government simplified border trade up to 100 kilometers to Kenya and the same to Ethiopia," he explained.
"If people in the borders trade among themselves, there will be no conflict. It can restore peace and stability. People in the border area benefit from trade and improve their livelihoods," Ambassador Ambulo emphasized.
November Business Delegation to Ethiopia
KNCCI announced concrete action steps emerging from the summit. "We are now organizing with KNCCI in this November a business delegation to Ethiopia. For those who are not registered, I encourage you all to get in touch with KNCCI and be part of this delegation," Ambassador Ambulo stated.
"We can arrange B2B meetings with Ethiopian businesses. Have your area of interest ready and we'll arrange every B2B meeting. The most important factor is through congregations. To know Ethiopia, to go, we can start. Let's come to know what exists in our countries, in our neighbors, in Africa," he emphasized.
Kaspar Kitsing Connects Africa to European Ecosystems
Kaspar Kitsing, Director of Global Partner Relations at Latitude59, represented the growing collaboration between African and European tech and business ecosystems.
Latitude59, Estonia's flagship tech conference, is bringing its Nairobi edition to Kenya on December 3-5, 2025, expecting to convene 3,000+ innovators, founders, and investors to bridge Africa and Europe.
Kitsing's presence at the summit underscored how international platforms are recognizing Kenya as a critical hub for connecting African entrepreneurship with global capital and markets. The Latitude59 Kenya edition will feature pitch competitions, investor matchmaking, and strategic discussions on scaling African businesses to European markets.
The Gender Data Imperative
The summit confronted sobering statistics that underscore the urgency of gender-responsive trade policies:
Globally, only 50% of women participate in the labor force compared to 80% of men
Just 33% of businesses worldwide are owned by women versus 70% by men
In developing countries, women's business ownership drops below 20%
In Kenya, women own fewer than 15% of businesses
"If we just look into the data available about economic involvement of women and men, globally only 50% of the total women are in the labor force or they are generating any economic activity, compared to men who are 80% involved in generating any economic activity," Younis stated, laying bare the scale of the challenge.
"So if we further go deep into the data, we realize that if we consider the businesses, only 33% women around the globe are business owners compared to men which have 70%. Among these 33% women, if we probe the issue, we come to know that among the developing countries, these are less than 20%, and in Kenya they're less than 15%," she continued.
Her challenge:
"How are we going to move from that situation of women doing low-paid jobs or having no job to doing business? Because business is not only economic activity. It gives women empowerment, leadership roles, and the ability to employ other people."
Moving from Policy to Practice
All speakers converged on one fundamental message: inclusive trade will not happen by chance but by intentional design through cooperation, consistency, and credible execution.
Chege concluded with a call grounded in his TradeConnect experience:
"Trade is not a dream--it is logistics, contracts, containers, and customer preferences. If we get those fundamentals right, investment will follow, and intra-African trade can finally thrive."
Younis offered a rallying cry for women entrepreneurs:
"There is a big famous proverb: if you want something well done, give it to a busy woman and she'll do it. Let's make each other busy. Let's start businesses. Let's take initiatives so that we can help each other. Long live all women in Kenya. Long live all women in Pakistan."
Bazira reinforced UN Women's commitment:
"We stand for gender parity, women empowerment, and employment within all spheres of life. As UN Women, as the sponsors of this summit, we continue to collaborate in different spaces. As long as you open our doors and we continue to engage, we'll make sure that we uphold each other for the betterment of women entrepreneurs within the space of business."
A Transformative Moment
The summit demonstrated that East Africa stands at a pivotal moment where infrastructure improvements, digital transformation, policy harmonization through AfCFTA, bilateral trade agreements, and the UN's historic expansion in Nairobi are creating unprecedented opportunities for regional integration.
The question is whether these opportunities--from UN procurement contracts worth billions to cross-border trade with Ethiopia's 130 million consumers, from the Africa Trade Gateway's $3.5 billion in active inquiries to digital commerce platforms--will reach the 85% of Kenyan women who are not business owners.
More importantly, whether Kenya can move from 15% to the global average of 33% and eventually achieve parity with men's 70% business ownership rate.
As UN Women Kenya demonstrated through this convening, the tools exist, the markets are opening, and the collaborative ecosystem is forming. Infrastructure challenges remain--such as the paradox that shipping from China to Mombasa costs less than from Mombasa to Uganda--but solutions are emerging through simplified border trade agreements, digital platforms like the Africa Trade Gateway, public-private partnerships, and strategic positioning for UN procurement opportunities.
The challenge now is ensuring that women entrepreneurs operating at the grassroots level--like Bazira's mother in her village--have equal access to seize these opportunities, from registering on the Africa Trade Gateway to participating in the TradeConnect Initiative, from accessing digital commerce tools to forming cooperatives that can compete for international tenders, transforming Africa's economic landscape from the village up.
With concrete initiatives like the November business delegation to Ethiopia, sponsored trade missions to Pakistan, the Africa Trade Gateway's digital infrastructure launching December 3, practical guidance on accessing UN procurement opportunities, and the Kenya-Rwanda warehousing pilot eliminating consolidation barriers, the summit moved beyond rhetoric to actionable pathways for inclusive trade.
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