Nairobi women are more likely to take up self-employment than men, an audit report shows.
According to the 2021 Nairobi City County Government Audit report, women are less likely to get formal employment.
Kenyans engaged in the informal sector are estimated to be 83 per cent of the total workforce. Of the 83 per cent, 50 are women.
"Kenya’s informal sector is large and dynamic and 95 per cent of the country’s businesses and entrepreneurs are found here," the report read.
"More than two-thirds of informal-sector jobs are in trade, restaurants, and hotels."
This preference for self-employment has been attributed to fewer girls completing secondary school compared to boys, making them less able to enter formal employment.
"From their 20s and even earlier, young women already take on family responsibilities, limiting their ability to continue their education or earn an income without support," the report reads.
According to the audit report, women are more likely to go into flexible informal occupations, such as farming or micro business.
The data shows that women who have less education, have more children, and are older are less likely to be in formal employment than men.
According to the audit report, the total number of persons enrolled in both formal and informal sectors increased from 13.5 million in 2013 to 14.3 million in 2014.
Of the 799,700 new jobs, the informal sector created 700,000.
The report shows that employment in the informal enterprise sector is associated with lower poverty than for people engaged in farming.
In the report, Kenya achieved a 10 per cent reduction in poverty in the period between 2008-09 and 2018-19.
This was achieved mainly through the diversification of rural livelihoods.
While releasing the report, Nairobi county Gender and Inclusivity deputy director Jane Gichure said that women lead in the Nairobi workforce at 51 per cent.
