Kenyan Women Lead Lion Conservation, Transform Community Relations

In northern Kenya’s Samburu region, a group of women known as Mama Simba (“Mothers of Lions” in Kiswahili) are revolutionizing wildlife conservation by taking leadership roles traditionally denied to them. Since partnering with conservation organization Ewaso Lions in 2013, these women have transformed their community’s relationship with the nearly sixty lions that share their landscape.

The Mama Simba program emerged from a simple but powerful premise: women who bear the greatest burdens of human-wildlife conflict should have a voice in conservation decisions. Despite being historically excluded from such discussions, Samburu women approached Ewaso Lions directly, demanding to become active decision-makers rather than passive observers of their community’s changing relationship with wildlife.

More than a decade later, the results speak for themselves. Women now hold governance positions in conservation efforts, proving that shifting power dynamics—not just perceptions—creates lasting change. The program has successfully moved the community from conflict with lions toward coexistence, demonstrating how inclusive conservation approaches yield better outcomes for both people and wildlife.

The Mama Simba initiative highlights a crucial truth in environmental conservation: sustainable solutions require the participation of all community members, especially those most affected by conservation policies. By empowering women to lead these efforts, the program has created a model for community-based conservation that other regions struggling with human-wildlife conflict can follow. Their success shows that when local communities, particularly marginalized groups, are given decision-making power, both wildlife and people can thrive together.