TAITA TAVETA – Women have been urged to take up technical and artisan skills and actively participate in Kenya’s Jua Kali and construction industries, with stakeholders challenging the perception that certain trades are exclusively the preserve of men.
Speaking after a two-day Fundi Mahiri wa Kisasa workshop held at the Taita Taveta National Polytechnic (TTNP) on August 14 and 15, Trans World Radio and Sifa FM Kenya Executive Director Dr. Njoki Chege said gender should no longer be used as a barrier to access or pursuing technical and vocational skills.
Dr. Njoki noted that although the workshop attracted hundreds of artisans with expertise in various trades, including carpentry, masonry and other technical fields, the number of women participating in the training and practicing skilled trades remained comparatively low.
She attributed the imbalance partly to persistent perceptions that some technical and manual occupations are “men’s jobs,” urging women to challenge such stereotypes by acquiring practical skills and pursuing opportunities in the artisan economy.
“There are no jobs today that belong to either the female or male gender. As long as someone has gone to a technical institution and acquired the necessary skills, everyone has an equal opportunity to implement their projects successfully,” Dr. Njoki said.
She said increasing women’s participation in the Jua Kali and artisan sector would not only promote gender equality but also expand economic opportunities for women, particularly as the demand for skilled labour continues to grow.
But while the statistics and discussions around gender participation tell one side of the story, Lydia Mwapoa’s experience as a woman carpenter demonstrates what those barriers look like in real life.
Mwapoa, a teacher at Mwachawaza Technical College and a trained carpenter, knows first-hand the challenges women face when they choose careers traditionally associated with men.
When she decided to study carpentry, she says, she was ridiculed by members of her community and told she had failed to choose what they considered a “proper” career for a woman.
Instead of tailoring or another occupation traditionally associated with women, Mwapoa had chosen to work with wood and tools.
“It was not easy,” she recalls.
The skepticism did not end after she completed her training. Mwapoa says some members of the community were initially reluctant to trust a woman with carpentry work, making it difficult for her to secure opportunities to apply her skills in making household furniture and other products.
As a result, she says, the carpentry skills she had worked hard to acquire were at risk of being underutilized.
But rather than abandon the trade, Mwapoa continued practising and using her skills, gradually challenging the assumptions surrounding women and technical work.
Today, she is using her experience to encourage more girls to consider careers in carpentry, masonry and other technical trades.
She says the perception that educating a girl in a technical field is a waste of her parents’ resources remains one of the barriers discouraging female students from joining technical and vocational institutions.
According to Mwapoa, girls are often encouraged to choose courses considered traditionally feminine, with many ending up in areas such as tailoring, while fewer venture into trades such as carpentry and other construction-related skills.
She is calling on parents to give their daughters the same freedom and support they give boys when choosing technical careers.
“Girls should be allowed to pursue the skills they are passionate about. Technical work should not be divided into male and female professions,” she says.
Mwapoa’s own experience is now becoming a practical example of what women can achieve when they break through such stereotypes.
She says her work as a carpenter has encouraged other girls to reconsider their career choices, and she is now witnessing an increase in the number of young women enrolling in technical training.
For her, the growing interest among girls is evidence that representation matters. When young women see another woman working confidently in a traditionally male-dominated trade, the boundaries of what they believe they can achieve begin to change.
Mwapoa also welcomed the Fundi Mahiri wa Kisasa workshop saying it provided artisans with an opportunity to interact, learn about modern technologies and improve their technical knowledge.
She particularly appreciated the initiative’s focus on encouraging women to participate in technical and artisan work, saying such platforms can help change public perceptions while giving artisans access to knowledge that can improve their businesses.
Her story reflects a wider challenge facing Kenya’s technical and artisan industry. While the country needs more skilled workers, gender stereotypes continue to influence the careers young people choose.
According to Dr. Njoki, the situation requires deliberate efforts to encourage women to enter technical fields and equip them with the skills needed to compete in a rapidly changing industry.
Dr. Njoki said the training was particularly important because the construction industry is rapidly changing, with many manufacturers and suppliers embracing digital platforms while introducing modern tools and materials into the market.
She said artisans, who are among the primary users of construction products and equipment, need continuous training to remain competitive and keep pace with technological developments in the sector.
“This is a rapidly changing industry. The tools and equipment being used today are increasingly modern, and artisans need to understand how to use them effectively. Continuous skills development is therefore critical,” she said.
Beyond technical training, Dr. Chege described the workshop as an important platform for bringing together communities, artisans and private-sector players.
She said the partnership between Trans World Radio, Sifa FM, TTNP and various construction-sector companies demonstrated the important role that media and industry stakeholders can play in supporting skills development and empowering artisans.
The workshop is part of the Fundi Mahiri wa Kisasa 2026 initiative, organised by Trans World Radio and Sifa FM in partnership with TTNP and other stakeholders in the construction industry.
Dr. Njoki said the initiative would continue with another workshop scheduled for Mombasa County in October, urging artisans across the country, including women and young people, to take advantage of such opportunities to sharpen their skills.
The push for greater participation of women in the Jua Kali and artisan sector comes amid wider efforts to promote technical and vocational education as a pathway to employment, entrepreneurship and economic empowerment.
For women who have traditionally remained on the margins of technical trades, stakeholders say the message is clear, skill, rather than gender, should determine who gets an opportunity to build, create and earn a living in Kenya’s growing artisan economy.
