Barriers and Solutions to Women’s Participation in Public Procurement in Eastern Africa

Governments spend a large amount on public procurement annually. Across Africa, approximately 15% of gross domestic product (GDP) is spent by governments procuring goods, works, and services every year1. Some countries spend significantly more than this.

In Uganda, for instance, public sector procurement accounts for 60% of government spending excluding wages, and 30% of the nation’s GDP2. This volume of expenditure offers an opportunity for businesses, including those led by women, to benefit from engaging in government contracts.

But statistics, where available, demonstrate that women and women-led businesses (WLBs) are under-served in their ability to access these contracts. The report discussed the issue of women and women-led businesses (WLBs) being under-served in their ability to access public procurement contracts in Africa, despite the large amount of government spending on procurement each year.

This 2-year project with the Africa Freedom of Information Centre (Uganda) and the Institute for Social Accountability (Kenya) explored the effectiveness of gender-responsive procurement policies in Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania. The project is supported by the International Development Research Council (Canada), the Gates Foundation, and the Hewlett Foundation.