As Kenya confronts the challenges posed by gender-based violence (GBV), 11 Kenyan entrepreneurs are stepping up to prevent GBV and support survivors of GBV with transformative and innovative solutions.
Culminating weeks of mentorship, under this business plan contest, these changemakers will showcase their initiatives at the Innovate Against GBV pitching event, an event targeting over 100 participants, organized by The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in collaboration with the National Gender Equality Commission (NGEC), Nairobi County Government and project implementing partners, GrowthAfrica.
The event is a milestone moment where their business ideas, developed specifically to tackle GBV, will be presented to a panel of jurors consisting of investors, partners, gender experts and other key stakeholders.
This event represents not just a competition, but a powerful platform for catalysing change. By promoting business models that directly confront GBV, the Innovate Against GBV programme seeks to equip local entrepreneurs with the resources, networks and support they need to scale their ideas and drive societal impact.
The power of entrepreneurship to address GBV
With rates of GBV increasing in Kenya, the need for innovative, community-driven solutions has never been more pressing. “GBV has profound impacts on individuals, communities, and the nation’s socio-economic landscape. We must enhance our innovative and dynamic actions and I believe businesses have a unique and powerful role to stand against GBV and foster societal change,” said chief advisor of the NGEC-JICA GBV Elimination Project and the program’s initiator Makiko Kubota.
“As an agency committed to supporting both social and economic development in developing countries, JICA can play a crucial role in fostering a movement within the startup ecosystem to tackle pressing social issues such as GBV through innovative and sustainable solutions,” said SME/Startup eco-system building expert of the Kenya Institute of Business Training, Misako Uehara.
From ideation to impact: Supporting entrepreneurial solutions to GBV
Over the past six weeks, the Innovate Against GBV business plan contest has provided participants with intensive mentorship, strategic business guidance, and practical resources.
These entrepreneurs have developed innovative ideas aimed at creating a future free from GBV. The pitching event will allow them to connect with investors and partners who can help scale their solutions to reach communities in need.
“We are proud to support these entrepreneurs as they work to drive real change in Kenya. This event demonstrates how entrepreneurship can act as a vehicle for social impact, creating solutions that go beyond profit to address issues deeply affecting communities,” said GrowthAfrica managing director, Patricia Jumi.
A collective vision for change
The Trade and Development Bank Group, which will host the event at TDB Tower, the group’s operations hub, recognises the importance of supporting initiatives that can address critical societal issues such as GVB and lead to meaningful change.
“At TDB Group, we are strong supporters of women empowerment. We have several policies geared internally as well as through the projects we finance – at gender mainstreaming, sensitivity, inclusion, and protection against abuse. Furthermore, almost half of our staff consists of women and over 50% of the jobs supported by our loans are held by women,” said TDB group executive in charge of people and organizational development Sheila Amule.
The Innovate Against GBV pitching event is a testament to Kenya’s commitment to addressing GBV through innovation, collaboration and community-driven efforts. By empowering local entrepreneurs, this programme demonstrates that, together, impactful solutions are possible, bringing the country closer to a future free of GBV.
The entrepreneurs are: Heels4Pads by Angela Waweru; Residence Technologies by John Kioko; Amicus by Robert Ayub; ConnectHer by Consolata Waithaka; Klinik Telehealth by Steve Dimba; Data Lock by Vince Sila; Safework App by Emmy Moorhouse and Steve Otieno; Kuza Freezer by Dennis Onkangi; MOMA Renewable Energy by Yvonne Mose; Mars Agrofarm by Stephen Ndungu and She’s Safe by Jacinta Kazenzi..
