By Berit Lolo and Benard Simiyu
Introduction
Universal access to affordable, clean energy remains a global challenge, particularly for women and marginalized groups. Access to energy is no longer just about keeping the lights on; it’s about unlocking opportunities, ensuring fairness, and empowering communities. As the world shifts towards cleaner energy sources, critical questions emerge: Who participates? Who benefits? Who is left behind? These questions are central to the principal of energy eguity, which stipulates that all people, regardless of gender, socioeconomic status, geography, or disability, should have fair access to reliable, affordable, and clean energy services. Just energy transition, is the transitioning to green sources of energy in a way that is as fair and inclusive as possible to everyone concerned, creating decent work opportunities and leaving no one behind. Globally, the urgency to switch to sustainable energy is driven by climate change mitigation goals, the need to reduce air pollution, and the imperative to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) especially SDG 5(Gender Equality), 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
Understanding Energy Equity and the Just Energy Transition
Energy equity ensures that energy services fulfill an essential human right by addressing affordability and accessibility for all segments of the society. According to the World Energy Trilemma Report of 2025, Kenya’s development and global climate commitments on energy equity focus on designing and implementing policies that prioritize vulnerable and marginalized groups.
The just energy transition framework is closely linked to sustainable development. It recognizes that transitioning to clean energy needs to be done without exacerbating existing inequalities or causing job losses without providing alternative employment opportunities. Additionally, it integrates social justice by prioritizing the inclusion of workers, communities, and marginalized populations benefit from the economic opportunities created by renewable energy.
The energy sector in Kenya exhibits notable significant and persistent structural gender imbalances, including underrepresentation of women in leadership, technical roles, and decision-making positions. Women often hold lower-level, administrative roles while men dominate management and technical positions. For example, women constitute only about 35% of total staff and roughly 15% of technical leadership positions in the Ministry of Energy. While there are some notable exceptions, such as a woman leading Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) as CEO, these are exceptional cases rather than the norm.
Energy planning in Kenya has often overlooked women’s unique needs as both energy consumers and producers, resulting in formulating policies that do not address or sometimes exacerbate gender inequalities.
The Gender Gap in Kenya’s Energy Sector
Women’s representation in Kenya’s energy industries remains disproportionately low. Kenya’s Second Nationally Determined Contribution 2031-2035, indicates that although women make up nearly half of Kenya’s population, they occupy less than 30% of roles in the energy sector, with even fewer in senior leadership and technical expertise positions. In policy formulation, women’s voices are limited, reducing the efficacy of gender-responsive energy policies.
Multiple barriers hinder women’s participation in the energy sector, including limited access to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, which restricts women’s entry into technical roles; challenges for accessing financial support prevent women entrepreneurs from starting and scaling energy-related businesses. In addition, prevailing cultural norms often discourage women’s involvement in male-dominated sectors. These obstacles are compounded by lack of women representation in decision-making forums, limiting their influence to energy sector policies and priorities.
When women are included in energy planning and policy, entire communities gain better access to sustainable energy, economic opportunities are created, and gender barriers. Example the “Solar Career Pathways program” in Kenya successfully trains rural women as solar technicians, empowering them economically and challenging gender stereotypes. Similarly, entrepreneurship initiatives supported by organizations like Women in Energy Enterprises in Kenya (WEEK 3) project supported over 400 women energy entrepreneurs. These women provided access to clean energy for last-mile communities, benefiting over half a million people so far.
Why Gender Inclusion is Essential for Justice
Gender inclusion in the energy sector delivers broad social, economic, and environmental benefits. Economically, when women participate fully in the energy workforce, innovation increases, and clean energy enterprises become more sustainable and community-focused. Socially, energy solutions designed with women’s input tend to better address household energy needs, reduce indoor air pollution, and improve health outcomes.
Women’s leadership in energy planning and policy results in decision-making that better reflects the needs of all community members, ensuring equitable distribution of energy resources. Moreover, gender-diverse teams have been shown to enhance organizational performance and creativity, essential for solving complex energy challenges.
Key Challenges and Opportunities
Persistent challenges hinder gender inclusion. Gender-blind energy policies fail to recognize women’s specific energy needs or participation barriers. Lack of mentorship and role models restricts women’s career advancement in energy fields. Energy poverty disproportionately affects women, limiting their educational and economic opportunities.
Yet, emerging opportunities signal progress. Kenya’s recent National Energy Policy 2025–2034 explicitly commits to gender inclusion and just transition principles. The rise of networks such as the Women in Renewable Energy in Africa Network (W-REA) fosters mentorship and capacity building. Global commitments like the SDGs and the Paris Agreement support funding mechanisms that prioritize vulnerable groups. Programs piloting gender-responsive budgeting, incentivizing women’s employment in renewable energy, and expanding women-led enterprises have shown promising results.
Driving Change – Practical Steps for Gender-Inclusive Energy Transition
Driving change for a gender-inclusive energy transition involves practical, multi-dimensional steps including:
Integrating Gender into Energy Policies and Planning: Ensuring gender considerations are systematically mainstreamed into national and regional energy strategies, policies, and investment plans. This creates an enabling environment for women’s empowerment within the energy transition.
Closing Financial Gaps for Women Entrepreneurs: Addressing the systemic challenges women face accessing capital and credit to start or scale clean energy businesses. Tailored financing mechanisms, collateral alternatives, and gender-responsive investment policies help unlock women-led ventures’ growth potential.
Building Institutional and Leadership Capacity: Strengthening women’s representation and leadership in energy decision-making forums and technical roles through capacity-building, mentorship, and targeted recruitment efforts.
Collecting and Utilizing Gender-Disaggregated Data: Developing gender-specific indicators and data systems to track women’s participation, access, and impact in the energy sector is critical. This evidence base helps design smarter policies, set targets, and monitor progress.
Addressing Cultural and Social Norms: Challenging stereotypes and cultural barriers that restrict women’s involvement in male-dominated energy sectors. Awareness raising, education, and inclusive community engagement are essential to shift narratives and foster equitable participation.
Promoting Inclusive Energy Practices and Technologies: Designing renewable energy projects and services that respond to women’s needs and priorities, including addressing unpaid care work and household energy access challenges. Women’s active involvement in project design improves sustainability and social outcomes.
Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration: Leveraging partnerships among governments, development agencies, civil society, women’s organizations, and the private sector to mobilize resources, coordinate actions, and sustain momentum for gender-inclusive energy futures.
Conclusion
True energy equity cannot be achieved without intentional and sustained gender inclusion. A just energy transition in Kenya must recognize women and marginalized genders as essential actors, beneficiaries, and leaders. Their full participation will not only promote social justice but also accelerate innovation, economic growth, and sustainable development. As Kenya’s energy landscape evolves, stakeholders at all levels must champion gender equity to realize an inclusive, resilient energy future for all.
