Women entrepreneurs grow businesses and opportunities through digital skilling program

Shimoni, Kenya (ILO News) - Students in Kenya’s Shimoni Secondary School not only learn math, literature, and other core subjects. They also gain hands-on skills in farming, raising poultry, and other practical life lessons. Teacher and guidance counsellor Joan Wafula wanted to help expand her students’ learning and opportunities, so she added technology-enabled skills such as mobile marketing to prepare them for today’s digital economy.

Now Wafula’s students, many of whom help support their families by running small businesses selling second-hand clothes or vegetables, have attracted new customers and increased sales through their newfound digital skills. The extra money, plus the ability to continue expanding their businesses, can cultivate a future with more options. “We are working to curb early marriage and early pregnancy by engaging them with other activities and introducing them to alternative opportunities,” Wafula says. The young entrepreneurs are also using additional income to pay the school fees of their classmates who cannot afford them.

Wafula is one of thousands of people across the world who have completed Women in Digital Business (WIDB) trainings offered by ITCILO, the training arm of the International Labour Organization (ILO). These virtual courses draw from Microsoft digital and AI training curricula, the ILO’s research-based policies on supporting entrepreneurship, and ITCILO’s expertise in running culturally responsive and large-scale learning programs.

This initiative trains female entrepreneurs who are embedded in and trusted by their communities. Trainers then provide education, hands-on learning opportunities, and mentorship to other small business owners in both rural and urban settings. Introductory programs cover the fundamentals of engaging with the digital economy. Advanced trainings include AI, graphic design, and digital marketing. Program completion certificates offer entrepreneurs evidence of their newfound skills, which are helpful for people building their resume or seeking a job.

We know that women entrepreneurs face gender-based barriers to accessing resources, especially in developing countries. They can hugely benefit from AI and digital skills to be more proactive and do more with the resources they have.

Carlo Maria Delù, WIDB Program Lead, ITCILO

© ITCILO

Importantly, WIDB programs meet women entrepreneurs where they are. Peer trainers dole out plenty of encouragement and support, while more advanced learners can gain skills at their own pace via online classes. 

This program opened my eyes. Not only am I teaching young women to use digital tools, but I am taking my own learning farther to gain skills in financial education, rural empowerment, and business from ILO.

Joan Wafula, Kenyan teacher and WIDB trainer

The teacher also applies what she has learned to her own produce and bakery businesses. Wafula used to rely on word of mouth, but by increasing her enterprises’ digital presence, “I have attracted more clients and my sales have gone up,” she says. Wafula plans to extend the Shimoni trainings to reach more women, many of whom go on to share their new skills with peers in a profound ripple effect.

Meanwhile, the ITCILO-Microsoft partnership is expanding, too. “Microsoft is our funding partner but also is helping scale up the program by liaising with public and private sector partners,” Delù says. The initiative has reached tens of thousands of entrepreneurs so far.

The train-the-trainer approach builds a resilient ecosystem of local educators in underserved areas. With ITCILO and ILO, we are growing communities’ capacity to foster entrepreneurship, strengthen economies and empower women to forge their own paths.

Kate Barnes, Director of Global Skills Partnerships, Microsoft

“The ILO–ITCILO–Microsoft partnership continues to reach women and their networks to cultivate stronger communities,” says Delù. “Together, we are bringing technical expertise to women entrepreneurs through accessible, gender-sensitive content.”