Gender In The Geothermal Sector: A Case Study of Kenyan Women

There is an apparent gender imbalance in the energy sector, including the geothermal sector. This imbalance is detrimental to social development and excludes women as potential actors of sustainable change and innovation. This article follows up on the assessment of the status of women in geothermal development in Kenya and Iceland by Málfríður Ómarsdóttir, Thecla Munanie Mutia, and Sylvia Joan Malimo (October 2021), by zooming in on issues concerning Kenyan women working in the geothermal sector. Ómarsdóttir et al.’s findings include that Kenyan women’s career progression in the geothermal sector had been affected by their gender, partly due to traditional views of women as the weaker sex, which made them miss out on various opportunities. Despite this, almost all Kenyan women in their study would still recommend working in the geothermal energy sector to their peers and stated that they had become more passionate about their work over time. This article employs qualitative, in-depth interviews with Kenyan women working in the geothermal sector to find out more about the issues they face and the support they provide to each other.