The transformative power of electric mobility technology in Kenya: Understanding and empowering women entrepreneurs
Funder
British Council and UK Department for Science Innovation and Technology
Total value
£104,192.00
Project team
Dr Esin Yoruk (Project Lead, UK)
Dr Ann Kingiri (Project Lead, Kenya)
Dr Catherine Kilelu (Researh Fellow)
Dr Razieh Sadraei (Research Fellow)
Collaborators
Coventry University (Lead)
African Centre for Technology Studies,
Kenya Climate Innovation Center
Dr Eleanor Browne
Duration of project
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Project overview
Electric mobility technology is one transformative technology not only for its environmental but also socio-economic effects on individuals and the society in low-income countries (LICs). Kenya, most of its energy sourced from renewables, has great potential to exploit the production and effective consumption of e-mobility technology in all sectors through entrepreneurial activity. However, the sector is almost wholly male dominated with only 1 in 25 employees being woman, globally this is 1 in 5 (ILO, 2024). In Kenya large proportion of female workforce that can add value through production and use of e-mobility remains untapped, increasing gender inequality, and hindering alleviation of poverty. Moreover, women entrepreneurs in Kenya often lack adequate support, facing institutional, cultural and technical barriers that hamper their success. As it seems now, the e-mobility sector is poised to grow, however without the inclusivity aspect in the design of emerging policy which is likely to skew the positive socio-economic outcomes.
Driven by these gaps, this project aims to explore and map the transformative pathway to e-mobility entrepreneurship among Kenyan women by assessing their needs and developing and piloting a training program to strengthen women's skills.
Project objectives
- Investigate the e-mobility sector for women in Kenya
- Generate evidence to make case for gendered e-mobility policy and practice pathways in Kenya
- Increase in the short run awareness about the gender gaps in the e-mobility entrepreneurship and related policy process
- Increase in the long run the number of women in the e-mobility entrepreneurship value chain
- Impact the individual, societal and economic wellbeing in Kenya
Impact statement
The project aims at generating evidence to make case for gendered e-mobility policy and practice pathways in Kenya. This is likely to increase in the short run awareness about the gender gaps in the e-mobility entrepreneurship and related policy process, and in the long run increase the number of women in the e-mobility entrepreneurship value chain, impacting the individual, societal and economic wellbeing.
Based on the above the project aims to contribute to UN Sustainability Goals in the below areas:
- GOAL 5: Gender Equality
- GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
- GOAL 13: Climate Action
Outputs
- One quantitative dataset
- Four internal project reports
- Two reports, one interim and one final
- Several journal articles
