Accelerating progress towards gender parity could boost African economies by the equivalent of 10 per cent of their collective GDP by 2025.
Speaking during the 2022 Zuri Awards ceremony, Zuri Foundation CEO Muthoni Mumo said women's unpaid childcare and domestic work limit their contribution and benefit from productive activities.
''This constrains their mobility, and limits their access to market resources and information while participating in the economy,'' Mumo said.
She, however, commended Kenya for the progress taken towards gender parity.
According to her, the past three years have seen an increase in women's participation in societal transformation in various fields.
“More women are now in political leadership positions; women in corporate boards in Kenya stand at 36 per cent, exceeding the global average of 23 percent. There are now more women leading SMEs and building brands that are changing lives,” she said.
Mumo however noted that despite the improvement, gender inequality still remains high across the continent in world comparison.
During the annual award ceremony, 15 women were awarded in various categories that include: agriculture, innovation, STEM, humanitarian, arts & culture, media, renewable energy, manufacturing, public service, sports, health care, young achiever, finance, business and education.
The award received over 250 submissions with three women nominated in each category.
The nominees went through a thorough vetting process that included training and pitching to a panel of jurors who made the final decision.
Among the winners of the night were Athena Morgen, founder DigiSpace Safety who was awarded the innovation award while Judie Kihumba scooped the healthcare award.
Amina Haider the founder of JIKO Manufacturing Incubation Facility took the manufacturing award as Sharon Korir won the humanitarian award for helping women suffering from Fistula in Kenya.
Ruth Samoei was recognised in the public service category for her role in facilitating disadvantaged deaf communities to favourably compete for available business opportunities in an already saturated market.
Chief guest Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Public Service and Gender Margaret Kobia termed Zuri Awards as a celebration of the excellence of the unsung names.
It’s the recognition of the gut feeling that says, ‘You don’t have to wait for the world to start, you have the vision to create the narrative,'' Kobia said.
