Exploring Maasai Women's Perspectives on Developing Equitable and Effective Women Ranger Programs in Kenya
Research Location: Implemented: Kenya
Conservation Partners: South Rift Association of Land Owners (SORALO) and Conservation Nation
Past Student Researchers
Corinne Boyd '26, Major: Integrative Conservation
Jana Smith-Perry '26, Major: Economics
Cynthia Kileken, Kenyan researcher from SORALO
Faculty Mentors
Dr. Mara Dicenta and Erica GarroutteProject Description
Women play a unique and critical role in environmental conservation, yet they are often excluded from decision-making, implementation, and policy development in this field. This is particularly evident in the wildlife protection sector, where opportunities for women to work as rangers or game scouts—roles focused on protecting wildlife in protected areas, communal lands, and private lands—are limited. Recently, conservation organizations have become more aware of the value women bring to wildlife protection. Women have been shown to offer unique perspectives and approaches to conservation. However, despite the growing support for women’s ranger programs, there is still a lack of understanding about the best practices for establishing and maintaining equitable, effective, and empowering programs for women rangers.
The South Rift Association of Land Owners (SORALO), a non-governmental organization working with landowners to preserve a connected landscape for both people and wildlife in the South Rift Valley of Kenya, is developing a women ranger program with support from Conservation Nation and its People & Pachyderms Collective initiative. They aim to ensure that the program is equitable, women-centered, and empowering for the women involved. To ensure the program supports the goals of the women rangers and promotes conservation in Kenya, SORALO and Conservation Nation are seeking insights from the rangers themselves.
In collaboration with Conservation Nation and mentorship from SORALO, a team of William & 玛丽 and Kenyan students documented the perspectives of Maasai women rangers, male rangers, and conservation organizations in Southern Kenya. The research focused on the motivations, barriers, and benefits of the program for Maasai women and for conservation. Key themes that emerged from the research include:
- Women rangers see no distinction between male and female rangers and are fully capable of performing the ranger role.
- Women rangers identify both as rangers and as Maasai women, with these being independent yet interconnected identities.
- Support from male rangers is essential to the success of women’s ranger programs. Ranger programs should foster community among women at ranger stations and support their ongoing roles in their broader communities.
- Maasai women rangers are primarily motivated by a strong commitment to conservation.
- Ranger programs should be flexible to accommodate the dynamic roles of Maasai women in their societies.
