Common assumptions and what should be done.

Assumption 1: Women are not good at STEM and less likely to understand solar technology.

Counterargument: Globally, women make up around 40% of the Solar Photovoltaic workforce, which is almost double the share of women employed in the wind industry (21%) and the oil and gas sector (22%).

This breakdown shows representation of women in various roles.

• Solar Photovoltaic manufacturing: 47% of the workforce is female.
• Service providers: 39% of the workforce is female.
• Developers: 37% of the workforce is female.
• Solar PV installers: 12% of the workforce is female.
• Managerial positions: 30% of managerial jobs are held by women, while 13% of senior management positions are held by women.

Assumption 2 : Solar technology saves women time and hard labor.

Counterargument:

Productivity gains often depend on access to land, financing, and technical training resources many women lack due to systemic gender inequalities.

What should be done:  Encourage ownership of solar technology by women and include them in decision making.

 

‘’Let’s talk about Ownership

The household structure in our culture  puts men at the top and in possession of the space. Any positive idea or technology that women  may want to adopt. They  have to seek approval from the man,”  says Dr. Eng. Erick Ronoh, Senior Lecturer Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.

 

Assumption 3: Public solar initiatives are practically inclusive and gender-sensitive.

Counterargument:

Many programs use women’s participation as a visibility metric without involving them in planning, governance, or benefit-sharing.

What should be done: Women should be meaningfully consulted and trained at all stages of the value chain.

Assumption 4: Solar irrigation solves water access challenges for women in agriculture.

Counterargument:

Solar irrigation systems require reliable water sources and land tenure both of which women may lack.

Assumption 5: Solar pumps have made women champions of environmental justice.

Counterargument: In some regions, solar pumps have led to over-extraction of groundwater, creating long-term ecological risks that disproportionately affect small-scale women farmers.

What should be done: Stakeholders, governments should provide reliable and sustainable water sources.

Assumption 6:Women can’t afford Solar pumps for irrigation.

Counterargument: At Sow Precise in Embu County Kenya, Women do most of the farm work even though they don’t own land, yet they produce most because they have easily adopted the sun rider solar irrigation provided by Sow Precise.

”We provide a post-harvest agreement where women can pay  for the irrigation service after  harvesting their produce especially for crops that go up to 4 months.”  says Linda Kamau the Executive Director of Sow Precise.

Takeaway

According to the FAO Gender and Land Rights Database and regional policy briefs, women in East Africa own less than 20% of documented land, despite contributing the majority of agricultural labor. In Uganda, only about 16% of women hold land individually, while in Kenya, just 1% of land titles are held solely by women and 6% jointly with men.

In Tanzania and Burundi, customary tenure systems dominate, and women’s access is often mediated through marriage or male relatives. Even in Rwanda, where reforms have encouraged joint titling, women still face barriers to full control.

These disparities directly affect women’s ability to access solar-powered agricultural technologies, which often require proof of land ownership for financing, installation, and long-term use.

 

Also Read: African Centre For Media Excellence’s new Report on  Media Coverage of Productive Use of Solar in Agriculture (PUSE) in East Africa.

Link:Media-Coverage-of-Solar-Energy-and-its-Productive-Use-in-Agriculture-in-East-Africa-new-4.pdf