CONTRIBUTION OF WOMEN ENGINEERS TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION IN NAIROBI CITY COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

While the construction industry is striving to increase women’s participation in the sustainable building construction industry, their contribution remains largely misunderstood, undefined, and undervalued in various phases of building construction. This study assessed the contribution of women engineers towards sustainable building in Nairobi City County in Kenya. Qualitative methods were used to gather data for this research. Women engineers in different departments in Nairobi with a specific target of La Femme Engineering Services Ltd (LFE) constituted the target population of the study. This research used a non-probability purposive sampling method to choose 16 participants who constituted the sample size of the population. The data collection from the participants entailed the use of qualitative instruments, namely the in-depth interview guide, key informant guide, observation checklist guide, and content analysis guide. The Qualitative Data Analysis (QDA) Miner Lite software was utilised to create codes and perform data analysis based on thematic and content analysis. The findings aligned with the objectives of this study and illustrated the lived experiences of participants across three worksites, including the head office of LFE, Zimmerman, and Ruiru apartments. Under barriers and enablers, respondents highlighted education as a crucial facilitator for women engineers, while the absence of role models emerged as a primary obstacle. In terms of impacts, the value was the highest contribution of women engineers. Then, unique perspectives, green energy, and advocacy for sustainability were the top elements that women impacted with the building sector. The research concluded that women engineers made significant contributions to sustainable building in terms of innovation and creativity, eco-friendly materials and energy efficiency, and leadership and management. However, they expressed the issue of educational accessibility and the environment not being conducive for women. The researcher recommends institutionalising mentorship programs and leadership roles and improving STEM access for girls, enforcing gender equality and gender-sensitive policy.