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.





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