top of page
Search

Building an Inclusive Bamboo Economy: Why Gender Balance Matters

At We Do Bamboo (WDB), we grow a reliable bamboo value chain in Kenya, from training and nurseries to harvesting, treatment, and conversion into poles, slats, chips, and powder. For this to work at scale and for the long term, it has to be inclusive. Gender balance isn’t a side issue; it directly improves safety, quality, and supply reliability.



Women marking bamboo for the next harvest
Marking the bamboo for the next harvest

Why it matters (in practice)

  • Better decisions & safer work. Mixed teams catch risks earlier during planting, thinning, grading, and machine operation.

  • Higher, steadier quality. Many quality-critical steps; seedling selection, moisture checks, labeling, inventory. Benefit from meticulous, team-based work.

  • Trust & market access. Buyers and counties increasingly expect visible inclusion; balanced teams strengthen our license to operate.

  • Fair value. Equal access to training, tools, and payments means value reaches the whole household, and is reinvested locally.


What it looks like across WDB’s chain

  • Nursery & training (Bamboo Academy): open recruitment, equal access to propagation and QA skills; 50/50 targets for trainee cohorts when feasible.

  • Field work & aggregation: mixed crews for planting, mulching, ring-weeding, thinning, and depot grading; clear, posted grading charts.

  • Treatment & processing: women trained on boron/thermal treatment SOPs, moisture meters, and machine roles(splitting, slatting, chipping, powder milling).

  • Quality assurance: mixed QA shifts responsible for moisture, density, and dimension logs; simple digital records.



Our commitments (what WDB controls)

  1. Hiring & pay transparency

    • Open postings, local-language outreach; equal pay for equal work at sites and depots.

    • Digital payments to individual accounts.

  2. Safe, fit-for-purpose work

    • PPE in multiple sizes, lifting aids, reliable transport to remote plots, and separate, well-lit sanitation.

    • Zero-tolerance anti-harassment policy with independent reporting channels.

  3. Skills & progression

    • Reserved training slots for women in QA, treatment plants, and machine operation.

    • Clear criteria for promotion to team lead/shift lead.

  4. Targets & reporting

    • Site-level gender targets (minimum 40% women overall; 50% in QA/grading where feasible).

    • Monthly dashboards tracking representation, safety, and quality.


bamboo farmer with Robert Sunya
One of our bamboo farmers (together with the author Robert Sunya)

A realistic 90-day starter plan (for WDB + partners)

  • Weeks 1–2: Count roles by function and gender; set site targets; publish rate cards and payment flow.

  • Weeks 3–6: Adjust shifts (predictable/half-day options), procure PPE in multiple sizes, run two short trainings (QA basics; safe machine operation).

  • Weeks 7–10: Pilot mixed crews in harvesting and at depots; ensure transport & sanitation standards.

  • Weeks 11–12: Review outcomes; publish a one-page progress note and next steps.


How we’ll measure progress

  • Representation by function (nursery, field, depots, treatment, QA, machine op, supervision)

  • Pay parity for the same role

  • Safety incidents/near-misses by crew

  • Quality KPIs (rejects/rework, moisture compliance) by shift


Bottom line: Gender balance makes our bamboo supply chain safer, steadier, and higher quality, and ensures the benefits of Kenya’s bamboo economy are shared fairly.


Work with us on gender-balanced operations, training, templates, and quick-start checklists available via the Bamboo Academy. Contact us for more information. Robert Sunya - in house We Do Bamboo expert

bottom of page