Economic exclusion is one of the greatest challenges facing young mothers in Mombasa. Many are forced to drop out of school and lack marketable skills, leaving them dependent on informal, low-paying work or entirely excluded from income opportunities. According to the Kenya Economic Survey (KNBS, 2023), youth unemployment stands at 13.3% nationally, with young women disproportionately affected. For young mothers, this is compounded by the unpaid care burden Oxfam’s We Care Project (2020) found that women in Kenya spend 3–5 times more hours on unpaid care work than men, restricting their ability to take up or sustain paid employment.
Financial exclusion further deepens vulnerability: the FinAccess Household Survey (2021) shows that women, especially in informal settlements, have lower access to credit and financial services, limiting their ability to start or grow small businesses. Yet evidence consistently shows that investing in women’s economic empowerment has multiplier effects: the World Bank (2020) estimates that closing gender gaps in the labor market could add $12 trillion to global GDP by 2025, with significant gains for local economies.
For MYM, Economic Empowerment & Leadership is about breaking these barriers by equipping young mothers with vocational and entrepreneurial skills, linking them to markets, and supporting access to start-up capital. Beyond economic skills, building leadership capacities ensures that young mothers can influence decision-making in cooperatives, community associations, and county-level economic programs. This thematic area reflects MYM’s belief that economic independence and leadership go hand in hand — when young mothers earn a livelihood and have a voice, they not only transform their households but also drive community development and social change.
Broad Objective: Building the economic resilience and leadership capacities of young mothers.
Strategic Objective 4.1: Provide entrepreneurship training, mentorship, and financial literacy programs to enhance income-generating activities.
Expected Outcomes:
1. Increased number of young mothers starting and managing sustainable businesses.
2. Improved financial literacy and budgeting skills among young mothers.
3. Greater access to microfinance, grants, and small business funding.
Key Indicators:
1. Number of young mothers trained in entrepreneurship and financial literacy.
2. Percentage increase in young mothers starting their own businesses.
3. Number of mentorship programs established and participants enrolled.
4. Amount of funding accessed by young mothers for business startups.
Activities:
1. Conduct financial literacy and business management workshops.
2. Organize mentorship sessions with successful female entrepreneurs.
3. Establish a business incubation program for young mothers’ startups.
4. Provide training on digital marketing and e-commerce.
5. Set up a savings and credit program to encourage financial independence.
Strategic Objective 4.2: Create linkages to employment, funding, and business opportunities for young mothers through strategic partnerships.
Expected Outcomes:
1. Increased employment and internship placements for young mothers.
2. Strengthened partnerships with private sector actors and financial institutions.
3. Growth of young mothers’ networks supporting entrepreneurship and career development.
Key Indicators:
1. Number of young mothers placed in formal employment or internship programs.
2. Number of partnerships established with private sector companies and financial institutions.
3. Percentage increase in young mothers accessing microfinance and credit facilities.
3. Number of young mothers receiving business grants or loans.
Activities:
1. Partner with private companies to offer job placements and internships.
2. Establish microfinance and small grant programs for business startups.
3. Develop a network of businesses willing to employ young mothers.
4. Organize job fairs and networking events.
5. Facilitate cooperative groups to support collective business initiatives.
Pathways of Change
Economic Empowerment & Leadership
If young mothers are equipped with livelihood skills, financial literacy, start-up support, and leadership training, then they will build economic independence and take on leadership roles in households, cooperatives, and community spaces, resulting in resilient families and stronger representation of young mothers in governance and economic life.
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