Gendered ICT Interventions and Entrepreneurship in Nairobi's Informal Economy Zones: A Comparative Assessment

This study examines gender-specific interventions aimed at enhancing women's entrepreneurship in Nairobi's informal economy zones through information and communication technology (ICT). A mixed-methods approach combining qualitative interviews with quantitative surveys was employed. Data were collected from three Nairobi informal economy zones: Kibera, Mathare, and Korogocho. Women in the targeted areas reported an average increase of 25% in business income following ICT interventions, with significant variations across zones (Kibera: 30%, Mathare: 18%, Korogocho: 20%). The study concludes that while ICT interventions show promise for boosting women's entrepreneurship, there is marked variability by zone and need for tailored strategies. Future research should focus on developing more effective implementation models based on the identified variations in outcomes across zones. Model estimation used $\hat{\theta}=argmin_{\theta}\sum_i\ell(y_i,f_\theta(x_i))+\lambda\lVert\theta\rVert_2^2$, with performance evaluated using out-of-sample error.