Insuring those who bear the risk: The impact of gender-inclusive framing on insurance uptake in Kenya

Most insurance for crop and livestock loss that has been developed in low income countries protects against shocks in traditionally male spheres of economic activity. Often overlooked are women, the particularities of their indirect exposure to these shocks, and their socially constructed responsibility to manage family well-being. To fill this lacuna, this paper studies the effect of a low-cost intervention that reformulates a male-focused livestock insurance contract so that it addresses women’s risks and is sold in units that are commensurate with women’s expenditure responsibilities. We measure the effect of this contractual reformulation using a randomized trial amongst pastoralist communities in Kenya. Twenty-nine percent of previously subsidized households that received the novel, gender-inclusive contractual formulation purchased insurance (without subsidy), compared to nineteen percent of previously subsidized households offered insurance under the standard male-exclusive formulation. Households that had not received prior insurance subsidies purchased no insurance, irrespective of the inclusivity of the insurance design. Protecting women, their assets, and those who depend on them ultimately requires a combination of smart subsidies and gender-inclusive insurance design.