Marieme-Sav Sow, Vice President for Engagement and Advocacy at TotalEnergies EP Africa, has challenged the energy industry to move beyond “diversity reports” and focus on the structural shifts required to grant women genuine influence in the sector.
In a statement released on Sunday by Tracy Walakira, Director of Public Relations and Strategic Communications and Culture Ambassador at APO Group, Sow argues that while female representation in junior roles and conferences has increased, the spaces where “real decisions are made” remain disproportionately quiet.
Sow, who often finds herself as the only African woman in global boardrooms, emphasised that her perspective is not a complaint but a strategic advantage that allows her to “notice what others overlook”.
She expressed a growing fatigue with symbolic gestures that lack substance.
“I’m weary of watching Women’s Day celebrations substitute for change. The goal is not simply more women at the table. The goal is building the table we deserve,” Sow stated.
She noted that while more women appear in the photos that fill corporate reports, a disconnect persists in executive power.
To bridge this, Sow advocates for intentional design: the practice of building systems that naturally facilitate female leadership, rather than relying on arbitrary quotas.
The Vice President highlighted that gender inclusion is not just a social imperative but a technical necessity. She cited a pivotal moment in Mozambique where a female mid-level engineer identified a technical flaw that had eluded her peers.
“She spoke up, her voice calm yet unmistakably authoritative. The room listened. The plan changed. That, too, is influence. It happens when women are not merely present but empowered to challenge, question, and correct”, she said.
Sow further illustrated how inclusive design improves project outcomes on the ground. In Uganda, TotalEnergies’ Tilenga and EACOP projects have moved toward a model where compensation requires both spouses’ signatures and mandatory joint bank accounts.
“When half the population is absent from those decisions, we build systems that serve everyone imperfectly,” she observed, noting that women often hold the most accurate information regarding household needs and community impact.
The results of this “intentional” approach are already surfacing in West Africa. In the company’s Nigerian affiliate, over half of the senior roles filled between 2022 and 2024 went to women.
“This wasn’t the result of quotas but of deliberate investment in talent pipelines that made such progress possible,” Sow explained.
“Proof that when influence is shared, outcomes improve,” she added.
As Africa undergoes a historic energy transition, Sow warned that failing to include women in leadership risks “building an energy future as unequal as in the past”.
She concluded with a dual mandate for both the workforce and the corporations that employ them.
“I urge women: seek out opportunities, develop new skills, and step boldly into leadership. I call on companies: create mentorship, training, and policies that allow women to grow and lead,” she said.
Sow remains committed to her role as a trailblazer, stating that she will continue to walk into those rooms to ensure the next generation of African women have “more than a seat—they have influence.”
