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Empowering women within Kenya’s growing e-mobility sector
Friday 04 July 2025
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A Coventry University researcher is working with two leading African technology and sustainability institutions to help women entrepreneurs and workers highlight their contribution to Kenya’s fast-evolving electric mobility (e-mobility) sector.
E-mobility — the use of electric-powered vehicles and technologies — presents a transformative opportunity for low-income countries, not only to reduce carbon emissions but also to drive social and economic development.
While Kenya is well-positioned to benefit, due to its high use of renewable energy, the sector remains male-dominated. Globally, only one in five e-mobility workers are women, in Kenya, that figure drops to one in 25*.
Without deliberate inclusion, the benefits of the sector’s growth risks being unevenly distributed, reinforcing rather than reducing gender inequalities.
Led by Associate Professor Esin Yoruk, this British Council funded project brings together the African Centre for Technology Studies and the Kenya Climate Innovation Centre to address these gaps.
Together, they are exploring how Kenya’s e-mobility sector is evolving, and what it means for employed women and entrepreneurs, from accessing finance and training, to their involvement in shaping policy.
The project aims to build a clearer picture of the barriers limiting women’s participation, such as cultural expectations, gaps in technical skills and limited representation in leadership roles. By generating evidence, the team is working to impact policies and business practices to make the sector more inclusive.
From a recent workshop in Kenya, the team have identified entrepreneurs operating their own businesses within the sector. They come from a wide range of professional backgrounds, including engineering, service, technical, marketing and management fields.
In parallel, researchers are documenting the roles of women employed across the e-mobility value chain, as managers, technicians, engineers, lecturers in e-mobility education, marketers and drivers.
The research indicates that many women are making significant contributions in areas such as food delivery, safari tourism and public transport. Yet, more needs to be done to support these women and especially engage women in engineering and management areas.
Associate Professor Esin Yoruk explained:
Our project seeks to understand and address the cultural, institutional and technical barriers that limit women’s participation in Kenya’s e-mobility space.
By developing and piloting training programmes, we hope to enable women to take on leadership roles across the value chain, from design and production to entrepreneurship.
We aspire to enhance women's skills, help them grow their companies and generate lasting socio-economic impact.
Associate Professor Esin Yoruk
Outcomes of the research could inform both national and international policymaking, contributing to Kenya’s climate targets while advancing gender equity.
Esin concluded:
Our work in Kenya builds on Coventry University’s broader commitment to sustainability, innovation and inclusive entrepreneurship. By supporting women in emerging sectors, we’re helping to shape a more equitable and resilient global economy.
This research is focused on ensuring that women’s voices are reflected in the economic policies shaping Kenya’s e-mobility future.
Visit the project page.
‘The transformative power of electric mobility technology in Kenya: Understanding and empowering women entrepreneurs’ launched in March 2025. It is funded by the British Council, the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the ESRC Impact Fund.
Project partners: African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS), Kenya Climate Innovation Centre (KCIC) and Consultant Dr Eleanor Browne.
* International Trade Administration, International Trade Administration (2022-08-19). "Energy-Electrical Power Systems". Trade.gov, accessed March 2024.
