Kenya has emerged as a continental leader in women’s financial inclusion, ranking third in Africa according to the 2025 African Women’s Inclusion Index (AWII).
With a score of 73.7, Kenya trails only South Africa (86.4) and Namibia (77.7) – but outpaces its East African neighbors and stands well above the continental average of 53.5.
Published by the African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET), the AWII measures four core pillars:
- Legal frameworks
- Leadership representation
- Financial access, and
- Economic participation
Kenya’s strongest showing is in financial inclusion (score: 86.1), a testament to its mature mobile money infrastructure, led by platforms like M-PESA. Initiatives such as the Women Enterprise Fund and gender-inclusive credit services have opened access to financial tools for millions of women.
Kenyan
Leading Mobile Money Service, M-PESA, Marks 18-Year Anniversary, Now Supporting Over One Million Businesses With Over 55,000 API Integrations
With a transaction capacity of 4,000 per second, the platform processes over 100 million transactions daily, making it… pic.twitter.com/FxEjSY7QyV
— BitKE (@BitcoinKE) March 12, 2025
But there’s a catch: growth in this area has slowed since 2017, inching forward by only 1.1 points. And while access to mobile wallets is high, many women – especially in informal sectors – still struggle with credit access, digital banking tools, and financial literacy.
In terms of law and legal structures, Kenya scored 83.0, reflecting policies that promote gender equality in financial rights and property ownership. However, the score has stagnated since 2017, highlighting the persistent gap between progressive legislation and on-the-ground enforcement – particularly in rural communities where traditional norms hold sway.
Kenya earned 60 in the leadership dimension, showing improvement but remaining behind countries like Rwanda and Ethiopia. Women remain underrepresented in top-tier government and corporate positions – a critical gap for inclusive economic development.
The country’s economic participation score actually dipped slightly to 65.7, as many women continue to work in low-paid, informal jobs with minimal protections. The lack of access to formal employment and scalable entrepreneurship remains a major bottleneck.
Kenya’s experience underscores how financial innovation can create meaningful gains in inclusion. Kenya represents both a success story and a call to action: there’s a growing market of underserved women who need secure, scalable, and accessible financial solutions.
According to a 2023 report, 42% of crypto ownership in Kenya is by women, a stat that ranks the country third in terms of ‘crypto equality’ across the world and first in Africa.
According to a new 2023 report, 42% of crypto ownership in Kenya is by women, a stat that ranks the country third in terms of ‘crypto equality’ across the world and… pic.twitter.com/iteAXFMgZW
— BitKE (@BitcoinKE) September 19, 2023
However, despite this impressive crypto metric, at the current pace, ACET warns that full economic inclusion for African women won’t be achieved until 2093.
The bottom line is, Kenya’s third-place ranking is a milestone worth celebrating – but true inclusion will require more than mobile wallets. It demands systemic change in leadership, employment structures, and access to capital.
Follow us on x for latest posts and updates
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
