Enlit Africa - Women In Energy

Wangeci Wanyahoro is a lawyer by training and has experience in policy and legal and regulatory frameworks in the energy sector. She has worked with public and private sector entities advising on electrification and energy access across the African continent with previous work experiences as a Transaction Advisor under the US government’s Power Africa Programme and more recently at a law firm. Wangeci has also worked with the United Nations in Kenya and Somalia.

She is currently undertaking her Master in Public Administration degree at Columbia University’s School of Public and International Affairs concentrating on Energy and Environment and has during this time worked briefly with Climate Fund Managers BV, a leading boutique investment manager dedicated to securing a sustainable future through impactful investing.

We caught up with Wangeci to hear what she has to say about being an inspiring Woman in Energy.

Why do you believe in Africa’s energy sector?

Energy is a key enabler to all facets of human development and social well-being and holds the potential to harness Africa’s existing resources and untapped potential and truly transform the continent to holistically meet the needs of all her citizens.

What is your advice for women who say they struggle to make themselves heard in the workplace?

Don’t give up. Continue speaking boldly and authentically because your voice is important and necessary.

How do you deal with women competing with each other in the workplace?

As women, we face numerous common barriers and unequal opportunities and expectations, not just in the workplace but also in our private spaces. There is no greater power or strength than women supporting each other. When you lift and empower one woman, you directly or indirectly create the conditions for other women to succeed.

What is your favourite book/quote to recommend as inspiration to others?

The lived experiences that inspire me are the women, especially African women, that have defined their own success, even when it goes against established societal norms and expectations. Wangari Maathai comes to mind when she says” “Finally I was able to see that If I had a contribution I wanted to make, I must do It, despite what others said. That I was OK the way I was. That it was alright to be strong.”

What is your superpower?

Resilience and tenacity.