In this two part report, we highlight the role of women in advancing Liberia's renewable energy agenda through the transport sector and the impact of electric vehicles/kekehs on emission reductions.
It's evening already in the bustling suburb of Newport Street, Central Monrovia. J. Hawa Boimah, the lone female driver, is basking in her orange and blue electric kekeh, ready to drive her passengers to their various destinations as the city quietly fades into nighttime.
Her eyes wander through the crowd, a hopeful smile lighting her face as passersby approach. "On my way!" she called out. One by one, passengers rushed in to take their seats to catch their cool evening ride. "This is my routine daily hustle," said Boimah, who is also a senior student at the University of Liberia, studying Medical Science.
Before now, Boimah had no plans of becoming a commercial driver. Years back, she focused on selling soya milk in Red Light, a commercial hub, while pursuing her medical career. But when her business wasn't profitable enough, she sought another opportunity. "I see this as an empowerment for me," she said.
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One by one, passengers jump in to take their seats. Photo credit: Tina S. Mehnpaine
Commercial driving and other informal jobs offer a crucial lifeline income for Boimah and other women. These roles bypass the certificate and degree requirements that often prevent women from gaining access to Liberia's formal employment sector. Their employment is triggered by Emergi Liberia, an electric kekeh company's goal of empowering women and bridging the gender gap in the transport sector. For them, this livelihood is especially important in a country where women lag behind men in employment--36% compared to 47%--according to the Labor and Employment Thematic Report from the 2022 Housing and Population Census conducted by the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS).
For three years, Biomah and five other recruits underwent rigorous customer service, vehicle management, personal financial management, road safety, and other forms of capacity-building training, becoming the first cohort of women drivers trained and employed by Emergi Liberia.
"It's just about creating opportunities for women," said Elvis Thomas, co-founder and Head of Operations of the company. He says Emergi Liberia's goal is to help transform the transport sector to a sustainable and inclusive one. "The transport sector in Liberia is primarily male-dominated."
Emergi operates a fleet of fifteen kekehs, painted orange and blue, which are charged at Emergi's headquarters in Waterside. Notably, Emergi employs only female drivers, aiming to make e-mobility synonymous with inclusive and reliable transportation in Liberia.
Women make up the majority of Liberia's population and are involved in almost all sectors of the workforce. From agriculture, farming, health, law, media, and politics. But women seen behind the wheel is not a new phenomenon. In Liberia, there are a lot of women seen in private cars, but there haven't been electric kekehs or commercial cars. In fact, only few women are employed by NGOs, such as UN Women, as drivers. "For us, it's just breaking the status quo and creating opportunities for everyone," Elvis said.
The use of electric kekehs is gradually gaining popularity in Liberia, although the sector remains dominated by fossil fuel-powered kekehs, motorcycles, and vehicles. According to data from the Ministry of Transport, 22,740 tricycles were registered between 2018 and 2023. With a population of over 5 million, transportation is a major challenge in Liberia, with many relying on tricycles, motorbikes, and taxis that use fuel and gasoline to operate.
However, the country has seen fleets of vehicles, both small and medium, motorcycles, and tricycles, mainly dominated by private businesses. Electric kekehs/vehicles offer substantial environmental benefits compared to petrol-powered ones, producing little to no emissions.
Beyond Empowerment. Liberia's climate commitment is being addressed
Electric kekehs are far quieter than their petrol-powered counterparts, addressing a serious issue of noise pollution as an added benefit. According to experts, their adoption in Liberia could significantly bolster the country's fight against climate change and accelerate the green energy transition outlined in the Nationally Determined Contribution(NDC).
Currently, petrol-powered tricycles and motorbikes are essential for transporting goods and people, playing a crucial role in addressing Liberia's unemployment crisis. Transitioning to electric vehicles presents challenges, particularly the need for charging infrastructure. However, Thomas remains optimistic, viewing electric tricycles as a future cornerstone of Liberian transportation. These kekehs are powered by a hybrid solar charging station, using solar energy and the grid, at the company's headquarters in Waterside.
The current expansion of electric kekehs (tricycles) represents a significant boost for Liberia's updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). In this key climate document, the Liberian government commits to major green initiatives, including introducing at least 2,000 kehkehs and transitioning 20 percent of the National Transit Authority (NTA) buses to cleaner power sources by 2035. This commitment stands in contrast to the NTA's recent decision to procure sixty new vehicles, of which thirty-five have already arrived and are fossil fuel buses, highlighting the ongoing challenges in fully aligning national transport operations with the stated clean energy goals.
"There's no man's job. We all go together."
Growing up in 72nd Paynesville, a small neighborhood outside of the country's capital, it wasn't a culture of seeing women behind the wheel or working as commercial drivers. Women were rather passengers, and are still up to this day. So, it wasn't a desire for Boimah to work as one.
But when her soya business wasn't profitable enough, she sought an opportunity. Now, as a mother of a five-year-old daughter, Boimah says her daily income from her work covers her child's wellbeing, family, and school.
Korpo Welleh, another driver, shared a similar experience with Boimah. Now their new job is a lifesaver for them, generating income for themselves, and not depending on their spouses. But it hasn't been a rosy journey for them. According to them, the initial public reaction towards them was not the best.
"In my own words, people saw it as an 'abomination' and something strange or surprising," said Boimah.
Sometimes when they parked their vehicles to look for passengers, people would ask who the driver was. When they responded that "we are the drivers," it was often met with resistance due to the mindset that certain jobs are only meant for men.
Through self-encouragement, the women gain self-confidence, and people start riding with them. Now they say they are the heartbeat of the traffic. "Some passengers can even change their entire route or direction just to ride with us," said Welleh. Unlike her soya milk business that consumed her time, and left little off for school, Boimah says she has ample time for school, the keh-keh riding work, and a day off to rest. "I go to school on Tuesday and Thursday, so I come to work Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and Saturday is my day off.
The empowerment of women as commercial drivers is rapidly gaining momentum across Africa and internationally. Examples from countries like Zimbabwe and Nigeria demonstrate that women are actively closing the gender gap in the transport sector. By owning and operating vehicles--such as electric kekehs or similar public transport vehicles--these women are actively challenging and overcoming patriarchal norms within traditionally male-dominated professions.
"Empowerment over business"
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As a setup dedicated to advancing women's role in society, the company works on a business model that Boimah and Welleh say is favorable to them. They are working on a lease-to-use model.
Since 2021, Emergi has trained more than 30 women and retained 15, with 13 now actively working for the company. After the training, the company also supports them to obtain their driver's licenses.
There are, however, some social factors the company is working to overcome. As Elvis explained, one of the women, after completing the driving training, had to quit because her husband demanded she not drive a kekeh. "This is just an example of the many social barriers we have to overcome, and we have made some progress in that regard." Generally, we have received good public support, and we are very grateful for this," said Elvis. "We are incredibly proud of how far we have come, and for us, this is only the beginning."
The strategy to employ only female drivers has garnered significant commendation from both individuals and key international partners, notably the European Union Delegation in Liberia. In February this year, the EU visited Emergi's office. Upon request for feedback on the visit, the EU, in an email, said, "It is a great initiative that strengthens the empowerment of female Liberians to drive electric kekehs. Not only does it support a livelihood through providing them a job, but also through providing them with household financial management skills. Additionally, the electric kekes will contribute to reducing the emissions as compared to kekes that run on fuel."
Backing the EU's observation, Spencer S. Taylor, Director for Climate Change and Environment at the Ministry of Transport (MOT), affirmed that the employment of women as drivers serves as a vivid example of genuine gender and social inclusion within Liberia's transport sector.
He commended Emergi Liberia for bridging the gender gap and providing women the opportunity to lead the country's energy transition.
"We never used to see women driving tricycles, but now here it is."
