Bamburi, IFC link up to expand women SMEs procurement

Bamburi Cement has partnered with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) on a programme to diversify its supply chain and support women by increasing procurement opportunities.

Through IFC’s Sourcing2Equal programme which supports women-owned SMEs in Kenya to become procurement ready and able to access contract opportunities, the partnership seeks to reduce gender-based barriers in the private sector.

The partnership involves three main items including the development and implementation of a gender-inclusive sourcing strategy, collection of gender-disaggregated procurement data, and a targeted supplier outreach program that will raise awareness of procurement opportunities at the company.

“IFC is working with Bamburi Cement and the other partners to support women-owned businesses to increase their participation in corporate procurement,” said Amena Arif, IFC Country Manager for Kenya.

“By helping businesses to work with more women-owned SMEs and supporting women entrepreneurs to be procurement ready, we can break down barriers and support more small businesses to grow.”

Women SMEs continue to face challenges while navigating complex corporate value chains.

“Supporting women-owned firms to access private contracts will promote healthy competition and change the view that the construction sector is male-dominated,” Seddiq Hassani added.

Bamburi Cement will conduct awareness and advocacy activities to help level the playing field through sourcing from women-owned businesses.

Three in ten (33 percent) small and medium-sized enterprises are owned by women and contribute 20 percent to the gross domestic product (GDP), a 2021 survey conducted in Kenya by IFC shows.