From Casual Worker to Supervisor: Jacqueline Chepsergon’s 25-year journey in Kenya’s flower Industry

Today is the International Day of Rural Women, and it’s a moment to celebrate the critical role and contributions of women in agriculture. This year, Fairtrade is shining a light on Jacqueline Chepsergon, a supervisor at certified flower farm Maji Mazuri Flowers in Kenya. 

Jacqueline’s career spans more than two decades in Kenya’s flower industry. Her story demonstrates what happens when organisations give women a chance to grow and succeed. In fact, according to the latest figures more than 40,000 women work on Fairtrade certified flower farms.  In this interview, Jacqueline shares her journey, what has changed for women in the flower industry, and the role Fairtrade has played.  

How did you get started in the flower sector?

I started working at Equator Flowers Sian in 1999 as a casual employee. After six months, I was confirmed as a permanent general worker. I then worked as a harvester for one year before being promoted to a scouter, where I was responsible for scouting and reporting pests and diseases.

Later, I was promoted to assistant team leader and later to supervisor. In 2002, Maji Mazuri Flowers was established, and I was transferred there as a supervisor to help build the farm. At first, I was responsible for six greenhouses, and as this farm expanded, this increased to eight and then 14 greenhouses.

From 2017 to 2021, I was responsible for 28 greenhouses. In 2021, I was transferred to the marketing department, where I continue to work today.

As 2026 marks the International Year of the Woman Farmer, what does being a woman in agriculture mean today?

Being a woman in the flower sector in 2026 means a great deal. It’s amazing to see women now supported with knowledge and opportunities to grow.

At Maji Mazuri Flowers, we know our rights as women. There’s greater awareness of gender equality and gender equity, and we have gained knowledge about finance and financial management. We know how to budget and how to start side businesses so that we don’t depend on our salaries alone.

We can apply for leadership positions whenever opportunities arise. That’s different from before when culture and social norms prevented women from taking up leadership positions. Even when women tried to take up these positions, there was a lot of discrimination.

Women are now better positioned to access employment opportunities and occupy supervisory and other leadership positions at Maji Mazuri Flowers.

How do women farmers support each other?

We support each other by raising awareness. We encourage women to participate in leadership and to take leadership roles. We also share knowledge on finance, financial management, budgeting, and ways of creating additional sources of income.

Some of us have formed or joined savings groups (chamas), which have helped women become more financially secure. Through our Human Resources Department, we also organise activities such as cancer screenings. 

Women are also encouraged to advocate for themselves. They can apply for positions and pursue opportunities they may not have considered before.

At our farm, for example, some women sell mandazi (a type of fried snack) to other employees. We are all finding different ways to create additional income for ourselves and our families.

What improvements would help women in the flower sector to thrive further?

I feel that we still need more training for women in finance, including budgeting, and savings. We also need more training on resilience because women still face many challenges. There should also be more support for women’s wellbeing, including hygiene, reproductive health, and the creation of a healthy working environment. Counselling and other forms of support are equally important.

For me, empowerment is essential. When a woman is empowered, the family is empowered. When the family is empowered, the community is empowered, and ultimately the nation and the whole world are empowered.

This is connected to the “triple role” of women and the contributions they make to their families, communities, and society. The more knowledge and support women receive, the more they can contribute across these areas.

What do you value most about being part of the Fairtrade system?

What I value most about Fairtrade is that I have personally benefited from Fairtrade projects. Through the Blooming Flowers project, I have had the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills, and I am a proud graduate of the Women’s School of Leadership.

Being part of the Fairtrade system is meaningful because it has brought important changes for women at our farm. For many years, our farm did not employ women.

Today, many women are employees and many of them are in leadership positions. Women know their rights and are more confident about standing up for themselves.

Through the Fairtrade Premium, employees benefit in other ways. We can access soft loans, and employees are sponsored to participate in short courses to improve their skills. For example, women can train in tailoring or hairdressing, while both women and men can train in driving.

Employees can also receive support with school fees for their children, from high school through college and university.

These benefits also extend to the wider community. Through Fairtrade, we have seen support for classrooms, as well as facilities supporting orphans. We also plant trees in the community, at our homes and on the farm.

At Maji Mazuri Flowers, we continue to benefit from Fairtrade Premium initiatives annually. These include fertilisers, certified seeds, and seedlings that we can use at our homes.

The power of Fairtrade is amazing because it is not only about the individual employee; it also creates opportunities for women, supports families, and contributes to the wider community.

This interview is part of Fairtrade’s yearlong series featuring female farmers during the International Year of the Woman Farmer.