With the support of the Japanese government and the Toyota Foundation, UN Women has established an automotive repair and maintenance course for women in Nairobi.

30 female participants are to attend the initial cohort funded by the government of Japan to the tune of $4.6 million.

In a press release, UN Women disclosed that the initiative is designed to enable women to be self-reliant in the long term.

Anna Mutavati, the UN Women Kenya country representative, said women's economic empowerment plays an important role in humanitarian efforts.

“Women and girls affected by conflict and disasters face heightened risks and endure bigger obstacles in accessing opportunities to grow. Initiatives like this can provide stable sources of income for meeting their daily needs, including health, education and food security. It enables freedom from domestic violence and options for walking out of abusive relationships,” she stated.

The automotive repair training was launched to help women and youth from Kakuma Refugee Camp and Turkana host communities build on their livelihood skills and increase future job opportunities.

During the programme launch at the Toyota Foundation Academy, the Japanese ambassador to Kenya, Ken Okaniwa, reiterated Japan’s commitment to supporting refugee and host communities through contributions to UN organisations and Japanese non-governmental organisations.