Source: allAfrica.com
Kenya has been ranked top globally for making the highest number of reforms to enable women prosper economically. According to the 2012 Women, Business and the Law report by the World Bank , the country came first out of 141 economies in easing women's access to property, job opportunities, credit among other rights.

 

This has been attributed to the new constitution passed last year. The global study applauded reforms like by removal of customary restrictions ,which gave men and women in owning property, granting equal rights for both before, during and after marriage and also equal inheritance rights .

Sarah Iqbal, Programme Officer , Women , Business, and the Law at the World Band Group said the sub-Sahara region in general has been moving towards more gender parity. "Between June 2009 and March 2011 46 legal and regulatory changes were recorded in 39 countries, with Kenya leading the way with highest number of changes in the positive direction," she said.

Globally, women represent 49.6 of the population, but only 40.8 percent of the workforce in the formal sector. "Competitiveness and productivity have much to do with the efficient allocation of resources, including human resources. Economies suffer when half of the population is prevented from fully participating," said Iqbal. According to the report , the world's most competitive economies are those with narrowest gap between opportunities for men and women.

However, even with the reforms in Kenya, many women do not have the adequate information to take advantage of these rights. Thus , many of them still cant be able access to credit or influence policy making. "Provisions in the new constitutions that favor women are yet to be unpacked and exploited, " said Joanne Mwangi, CEO of Professional Marketing Services and head of Kenya Women Entrepreneurs Federation. This lack of information is mostly due to restraints carried forward from the past such as lack of education for women and also women being overburdened with domestic responsibilities.

• Kenya