Women's Empowerment in East Africa's Geothermal Sector: Opportunities and Barriers

Abstract Women's empowerment has become increasingly important for achieving Sustainable Development Goals and advancing the global energy transition. Geothermal energy, a clean and climate-friendly energy source, is expanding rapidly across East Africa due to the presence of the East African Rift System, which offers considerable potential throughout the region. However, little attention has been given to the implications of geothermal development for women’s empowerment. This paper reviews the literature to examine the opportunities, barriers, and policy implications for women's empowerment in East Africa's geothermal sector. This study conducted a structured narrative review and thematic synthesis using peer-reviewed articles and grey literature published between 2000 and 2026. The review identified four major opportunities for women's empowerment, including: (i) formal employment and entrepreneurship, (ii) community development, (iii) international training and professional networking, and (iv) capacity-building initiatives that promote women's leadership in the geothermal industry. However, these opportunities remain constrained by structural barriers, including: (i) gender disparities in STEM education, (ii) institutional discrimination, (iii) socio-cultural norms, (iv) unequal land tenure systems, and (v) the geographical isolation of geothermal resources. These barriers are interconnected and continue to limit women's recruitment, retention, career progression, and participation in decision-making. The review concludes that women's empowerment should be integrated as a strategic component of geothermal development rather than treated as a peripheral social target. It recommends the adoption of gender-responsive policies, including improved access to STEM education, systematic collection of sex-disaggregated data, inclusive recruitment practices, leadership development, and equitable benefit-sharing mechanisms.