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
Student Researcher
Corinne Boyd, Major: Integrative ConservationStudent Researcher
Jana Smith-Perry, Major: EconomicsFaculty Mentors
Dr. Mara Dicenta and Erica GarroutteProject Description
Women ranger programs have been shown to have a measurable impact on the protection of wildlife and ecosystems, yet there is a gap in knowledge about how to best structure these programs to ensure they support and maximize the impact of the women rangers. With support from Conservation Nation, W&M and Kenyan students are working with SORALO's women rangers to explore best practices for designing and supporting Maasai women in the protection of wildlife.
Women play a unique and critical role in environmental conservation but are often excluded from decision-making and the implementation of conservation action, management, and policy. This is especially true in the wildlife protection sector, where there is a lack of opportunities for women to work as rangers or game scouts working to protect wildlife in protected areas, communal and private lands. Recently there has been a rising awareness among conservation organizations about the importance of supporting women ranger programs as women have been shown to bring unique perspectives and approaches to wildlife protection that have proven to be effective.
Despite the rising popularity of establishing women's ranger programs, there is a lack of consensus on the best practices and lessons learned on how to establish equitable, effective, and empowering women's ranger programs. Further, there is a lack of literature available on the strategies for conservation organizations to acknowledge and adapt their systems and processes to ensure they are not providing barriers for women rangers to participate in and excel in their programs or creating difficulties for the women rangers when they return to their communities due to a lack of understanding of the local cultural norms.
SORALO, a non-governmental organization that works with land owners to maintain a healthy connected landscape for people and wildlife in the South Rift Valley of Kenya. With support of Conservation Nation and its People & Pachyderms Collective, SORALO is building a women ranger program that they want to ensure is equitable, women-centered, and empowering for the women involved in the program.
Conservation Nation is a nonprofit organization with a mission to diversify the conservation movement by funding and supporting wildlife conservationists from underrepresented communities while educating and inspiring the next generation of leaders. Conservation Nation provides funding and support to wildlife conservationists to advance their work and strives to inspire and educate the next generation of wildlife champions.
With mentorship from Conservation Nation and SORALO, W&M students Corinne Boyd '26 and Jana Perry-Smith '26 are working with Kenyan students to research best practices and opportunities for building an equitable and effective women ranger program. They will: conduct a literature review on best practices; interview global conservation organizations and agencies to explore lessons learned and best practices; interview men and women rangers and community members from Maasai communities in southern Kenya; and work closely with the new SORALO women ranger cohort to explore their opinions on what would make an effective women ranger program. They will produce a report of their findings, which will inform the establishment of the SORALO Women Ranger Program and fill a gap in knowledge around best practices for supporting women's equity in the ranger sector.
