Female voices key to success of Nuclear Energy strategy

At a recent stakeholder meeting in Nairobi about Kenya’s plans to explore nuclear energy,

uncomfortable scene played out: the women voices and meaningful participation was missing.



As the men in suits outlined timelines, displayed diagrams, and debated regulatory frameworks,

with some of them calling it “a generational infrastructure decision,” one question lingered

heavily in the room.



Who will experience the risks and benefits of nuclear energy, and how will everyday lives be

reshaped? Civil society groups in Nairobi say the answer depends on whether women are

included in those decisions.



“Energy decisions are not gender-neutral,” said Lydia Mwende, program coordinator at

Nairobi’s Center for Community Rights. “Women carry the burden of household energy,

caregiving, and community health. If they aren’t in the room, the choices will miss realities that

matter most.”



Mwende said a nuclear project will affect women and men differently when it comes to issues

such as water access, emergency planning, and livelihoods.

A report by the Nairobi Women’s Energy Network highlighted several practical reasons for

inclusion. “Women’s perspectives improve safety planning,” said the network’s chair, Fatima

Otieno.



“They can identify evacuation routes that account for caregiving responsibilities, suggest

communication approaches that reach vulnerable groups, and raise concerns about how

employment opportunities will be structured so women can actually take them.”



Otieno added that when women participate in energy governance, projects tend to allocate

more resources to community health, education, and social services.



Civil society organizations were concerned that even if consultations are happening, their

design is an obstacle to women participation.



“Public meetings often happen during working hours in central locations that women,

especially market traders and caregivers cannot attend,” observed Josephine Kariuki of the

Nairobi Civic Participation Forum.



“This creates the illusion of public buy-in while excluding those most affected.” Kariuki urged

planners to schedule diverse engagement formats, such as evening sessions, mobile forums in

peri-urban settlements, and use translated materials to broaden participation.



In addition to this, Beyond logistics, Nairobi-based environmental group GreenRoots cautioned

that technical and regulatory dialogues must include gender-sensitive environmental impact

assessments to enhance effective engagement.



“Radiological safety, waste management, and land-use changes have distinct implications for

women,” said GreenRoots’ director, Samuel Njoroge. “Women often depend on local natural

resources for fuel, food, and income. Their knowledge about local ecologies is vital for assessing

true project impacts.”



Employment and economic inclusion were recurring themes during the meeting. “We welcome

job creation, but only if it’s equitable,” said Anne Wanjiru, policy lead at the Women in STEM

Coalition, Nairobi. “Training, apprenticeship timing, childcare support, and targeted recruitment

matter.



Otherwise, the high-skilled roles will go to men who can relocate or work overtime, while

women are confined to lower-paid positions.” Wanjiru urged that procurement clauses and

workforce targets be gender-responsive, with measurable accountability.



But for all these to happen, trust, transparency, and accountability need to drive this process.

“Nuclear energy carries historical anxieties, about accidents, secrecy, and displacement,” said

Lydia Mwende, an advocate of inclusive energy strategies.



“Meaningful inclusion of women builds trust because women often act as community

conveners and advocates for family wellbeing. Their participation signals that impact on

households will be taken seriously,” she observed.



Several groups recommended establishing a women-led advisory committee to review risk

communication, emergency preparedness, and social compensation frameworks.



Integrating women into nuclear energy meetings is not merely symbolic; it is practical

governance that improves safety, fairness, and social legitimacy. “When women contribute,

decision-making is better informed and more resilient,” said Fatima Otieno. “This project will

reshape communities for decades. We must design it with those who care for those

communities.”



As Nairobi’s civic groups prepare policy briefs and community outreach, their message is clear:

nuclear energy discussions should not be confined to technical elites and mainly men. The

voices of women-caregivers, farmers, health workers, entrepreneurs, and engineers-are

essential to ensure that Kenya’s energy future is safe, equitable, and rooted in the realities of

everyday life.



If the country hopes to build energy systems that endure, it must begin by widening the circle

of who decides.



-----ss----