Women’s Employment Across Renewable Energy Job Categories in Kinondoni M?unic?ipality, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

The expansion of renewable energy has? created emp?loyme?nt oppor?tunities in technical, commercial, administrat?ive? and entrepreneurial? a?ctiviti?es. H?owever, w?omen?’s par?ticipation may differ across occupational categories. Thi?s study exam?ined? wome?n’s distribution across? renewable energy job categories in Kinon?doni Mu?nicipality, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The study was guided by? the Gender? and Devel?opmen?t (GAD) theory and? employed a qualitative case study design. Data were col?lecte?d from 20 pur?posively selected women comprising eight technicians, eight renewable energy sales representatives, two e?nergy officers? an?d two cle?an energy entr?epreneu?rs. Focus group d?iscussi?ons and key informant interviews were used to collect data, which were analysed thematica?lly. The fin?dings show? that participants mainly entered renewable? energy employmen?t through formal recruitment involving job advertisements, applications and interviews. However, women’s participation was uneven across occupational categories. Part?icipants were repres?ented in sales, custo?mer-?faci?ng and selected technical activities,? while their participat?ion i?n some speci?alised technical and engin?eeri?ng f?unctions remained limited. Employmen?t arrangements also varied across occupational groups. Par?ti?cipants in public institutions gen?erally held pe?rmanent position?s, whereas private-sector sa?les repr?esentatives? were mainly engaged t?hro?ugh short-term, project-based or commission?-related arrangements. The findin?g?s further show? t?hat rene?wable? ene?rgy employment in Kinondoni was concen?trated ma?inly in solar and electricity-rela?ted acti?vities, while opportu?nities in bioga?s, wind and ge?othermal energy were l?imite?d. The study c?oncludes that women’s participation is shaped not? only by recruitment procedur?es but also by technical training, opp?ortu?nities to appl?y sk?ills, occupationa?l pathways?, empl?oyment arrangements and the structure of the local renewable energy market.