There is no singular experience that aptly describes an entrepreneur’s journey from inception to either success or multiple attempts at success.
Entrepreneurs face challenges unique to their social status, age, educational background and in the case of women, gender.
Gender-based violence is one of the most severe forms of gender inequality and discrimination in Kenya.
While data on GBV is limited in Kenya, a 2008-2009 report by the Kenya Demographic Health Survey estimated 45% of women aged 15-49 had experienced either sexual or physical violence.
How can doorstep entrepreneurship reduce the number of GBV cases reported annually?
For women in rural Kenya, there are two issues at play. When women work far from their homes, they are likely to experience sexual abuse on their way back home and physical abuse when they get home from their husbands.
There are certain cultural myths that believe a woman should come into the house past a certain hour, if she does, she must have been entertaining another man.
The second issue is the safety of their children when they are away at work. Children particularly girls are vulnerable to sexual exploitation and defilement from male relatives and motorcyclists.
The resulting consequence of violent acts against women is the transmission of sexual diseases, physical and mental trauma; sexual exploitation and abuse, defilement and unwanted pregnancies.
Others include tussle over land ownership, child-headed families, early marriages, school dropouts and lack of proper sanitation which could result in hygiene-related challenges.
On the right, women use the machine to grind the roasted groundnuts into peanut butter, On the right, the Armstrong Director assists in checking the consistency of the final product, photos by Drani Futo
Therefore doorstep entrepreneurship creates an opportunity for the women to sell their wares and earn a living within the confines of their home allowing them to monitor and protect their children.
On this premise, Armstrong trains women on basic entrepreneurship skills such as business ideas that are viable for doorstep entrepreneurship, setting up and maintaining the business and challenges to expect in the future and how to go about them.
Focusing on craft skills, the women are trained in handicrafts i.e. making woven doormats, palm baskets, processing peanut butter, poultry keeping, fireless blankets and how to make both liquids and bar soap after which they are linked to the marketplace.
Therefore as women are being underrepresented in the workforce, entrepreneurship can be an effective way of helping them gain financial independence and find employment.