The President of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI), accompanied by Ms. Nancy Muthoni, Advisor to the President, participated in the Gender Economic Inclusion Roundtable convened by the IFC–World Bank Group. The session was led by Robin Mearns, newly appointed Global Director for Gender at the World Bank Group.

The roundtable brought together senior leaders from the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE), Safaricom, Britam Holdings, KCB Foundation, Equity Bank, BSD Group, and IFC-supported entrepreneurs under the SheWins Program, including Gobeba and WEConnect International.

The forum focused on:
* Showcasing impact of IFC gender programmes in the SME sector
* Sharing lessons from partnerships
* Identifying scalable solutions for inclusive growth in Africa

The KNCCI President highlighted:
* Collaboration with IFC under She Grows and the Jiinue Programme supporting MSMEs
* Promotion of AGPO and annual economic surveys to drive policy advocacy
* Establishment of KNCCI trade offices in China and Dubai to expand market access
* Advocacy for banking policy reforms to ease private sector credit constraints

Financial institutions reported measurable impact:
* Equity Bank has trained over 2 million women entrepreneurs and disbursed KES 100+ billion to women-led businesses
* NSE is advancing women’s participation in capital markets
* Absa Bank Kenya is strengthening mentorship and market linkages

In closing, Robin Mearns reaffirmed the World Bank Group’s gender strategy anchored on digital inclusion, access to capital, and social protection.

KNCCI continues to champion structured, scalable solutions that advance women’s economic empowerment and inclusive growth.