7. Gender Analysis for Energy Talent Development - West Africa.pdf

Power Africa Gender Analysis for West Africa Program Design 2023

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This gender analysis offers an overview of gender issues that exist within the power sector and is meant to inform the development of Power Africa program design for West Africa. The analysis presents three important gender gaps prevalent in the energy sector, namely 1) differences in men’s and women’s access to and use of electricity, 2) differences in men’s and women’s participation in the energy sector, and 3) the disproportionate negative impact of climate change on women and girls as a consequence of unsustainable energy sector policies and investments.

Energy poverty, or the lack of access to energy services, disproportionately and negatively impacts women. Men and women experience different energy needs, and therefore experience the impact of household electrification differently. For example, due to cultural norms around cooking, access to electricity and electric cooking technologies would have a much greater positive impact on women’s lives than men’s. Similarly, cultural norms and expectations would result in men and women experiencing differential impacts of electrifying schools, health facilities, public spaces, water and sanitation services and other public services.

Differences in men’s and women’s participation in the energy sector are also explored within this document. Women’s representation is limited across all facets of the energy sector - within the workforce broadly, and specifically within positions of leadership and decision making.

Women’s lack of access to finance also limits their ability to participate in the sector as entrepreneurs, developers and investors. Additionally, gender based violence and workplace sexual harassment also present barriers to women’s participation in the sector.

The analysis also describes the disproportionate impact of climate change on women and girls, and the mitigating benefits increased participation by women within the energy sector can have on alleviating these impacts. Women and girls bear the brunt of climate change impacts.

Women and children are 14 times more likely than men to die due to climate disasters, and make up 80% of the populations displaced due to climate disasters1. Women and girls hold valuable knowledge as stewards of natural resources, knowledge which is critical to building resilience to climate impacts. Women and girls also possess valuable skills as advocates for climate solutions. Women in leadership positions create and improve climate change policy more often than men. The analysis advocates for women’s participation in the energy sector to shape inclusive climate change dialogue and support climate change friendly management practices.

1 UN Women. Why is Climate Change a Gender Issue? https://www.uncclearn.org/wp-content/uploads/library/unwomen704.pdf https://www.uncclearn.org/wp-content/uploads/library/unwomen704.pdf

In addition to describing gender gaps, the analysis shares how gender-informed decision making can improve Power Africa’s outcomes and offers illustrative examples of Power Africa’s gender and energy activities to date.

Finally, the analysis suggests how future programming can meaningfully address gender issues in their design and implementation by calling for the development of Gender Strategies or Gender Integration Action Plans. Beyond simply conducting analyses, implementing partners are encouraged to develop strategies or plans outlining how they intend to address gender issues in alignment with their scopes of work.

I) GENDER GAPS IN THE ENERGY SECTOR

The energy sector is not gender neutral. Power Africa has identified three main gender gaps prevalent within the energy sector, namely A) disproportionate impact of energy poverty on women, and differences in men’s and women’s use of electricity, B) differences in men’s and women’s participation in the energy sector, and C) the disproportionate impact of climate change on women and girls as a consequence of unsustainable energy sector policies and investments.

A) Impacts of Energy Poverty and Differences in Energy Use

Energy Poverty

Nearly 600 million people lack access to electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa2. West Africa in particular has one of the lowest rates of electricity access in the world; only about 42% of the total population, and 8% of rural residents, have access to electricity3. This lack of access has differential impacts on men and women.

The effects of energy poverty are acutely felt by women and girls.4 The following examples demonstrate ways in which men and women experience energy poverty differently. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list of differentials, but is meant to illustrate the idea that energy poverty is experienced differently by different people with gender roles serving as a contributing factor.

Women and girls are traditionally responsible for procuring energy sources - mainly through the collection of biomass fuels5. Without access to electricity, women and girls are burdened with

2 IEA (2019), SDG7: Data and Projections, IEA, Paris At: https://www.iea.org/reports/sdg7-data-and-projections 3 Sustainable Energy for All, Putting Africa on the Path to Universal Access. (2022) https://blogs.worldbank.org/energy/putting-africa-path-universal-electricity-access 4 Van Leeuwn, Richenda, United Nations Foundation, Power for Girls and Women: 5 Facts on How Electricity Powers Progress, (April 4, 2016), at: https://unfoundation.org/blog/post/power-for-girls-and-women-5-facts-on-how-electricity-powers-progress/ 5 IOSR Journal Of Humanities And Social Science (IOSR-JHSS) Volume 19, Issue 8, Ver. II (Aug. 2014), PP 21-33 e-ISSN: 2279-0837, p-ISSN: 2279-0845., www.iosrjournals.org https://blogs.worldbank.org/energy/putting-africa-path-universal-electricity-access https://unfoundation.org/blog/post/power-for-girls-and-women-5-facts-on-how-electricity-powers-progress/ https://unfoundation.org/blog/post/power-for-girls-and-women-5-facts-on-how-electricity-powers-progress/ collecting firewood and water, and are exposed to the harmful effects of smoke inhalation. This differential is further heightened when school aged girls are responsible for fuelwood and water collection, as these activities limit their ability to go to school or complete homework. Data demonstrate that when schools and homes are electrified, girls are more likely to stay in school.6

Evidence demonstrates that women in electrified households report significantly lower acceptance of domestic violence. One reason is that electricity increases women’s access to information; enabling exposure to different worldviews, where gender based violence (GBV) is considered unacceptable by women in various public roles enjoying equal status with men. The media may also address gender issues directly such as GBV or women’s health. The more information that girls and women have access to, the greater understanding they will have of their rights, and the less accepting they may be of stereotyped roles and violence.7

Without access to electricity, men and women alike lack access to adequate healthcare facilities.

In Sub Saharan Africa, nearly 60% of all health centers do not have access to electricity, and of those that do only 34% of hospitals and 28% of health clinics have reliable access8. While men and women both suffer the effects of poor health care, this deficiency is acutely felt by women of reproductive age due to their unique dependence on healthcare facilities. Women in Africa suffer from the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, accounting for two thirds of all maternal deaths per year worldwide9. Estimates of the maternal mortality rate for the whole of West Africa range significantly from 5% to 2%, with all estimates well above the 1% threshold for declaring maternal mortality as a major public health problem10. This tragedy could be mitigated with access to electricity as women giving birth in electrified health clinics are less likely to die in childbirth.11

When considering energy poverty it is important to recognize that while electricity services and products may be available to communities or homes, they may still be beyond the financial reach of the poorest of the poor, typically women12.

Energy Use

6 UNDESA, Electricity and education: The benefits, barriers, and recommendations for achieving the electrification of primary and secondary schools, (December 2014) Final Online Version, pg. 13, At:

https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/1608Electricity%20and%20Education.pdf 7 https://powerafrica.medium.com/exploring-the-relationship-between-energy-access-and-gender-based-violence-ee8d9e320437 8 Electricity Access in Sub-Saharan Africa : Uptake, Reliability, and Complementary Factors for Economic Impact. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/31333 9 https://data.unicef.org/topic/maternal-health/maternal-mortality/ 10 ARC Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics: Prevalence of Maternal Mortality in West Africa, A Systematic Review. (2021) https://www.arcjournals.org/pdfs/ajgo/v6-i1/2.pdf 11 We Care Solar, https://wecaresolar.org/light-every-birth/ 12 https://globalfindex.worldbank.org/ https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/1608Electricity%20and%20Education.pdf https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/31333 https://data.unicef.org/topic/maternal-health/maternal-mortality/ https://www.arcjournals.org/pdfs/ajgo/v6-i1/2.pdf https://wecaresolar.org/light-every-birth/ https://globalfindex.worldbank.org/

Due to gender norms and associated professional and personal opportunities and limitations, men and women may experience different energy needs, and associated use levels. The following examples demonstrate ways in which men and women use and benefit from electrification differently. This is not an exhaustive list of differentials, but an illustration of the idea that gender roles serve as a contributing factor in how energy is used differently by different people.

Due to cultural norms and expectations, women and girls are commonly responsible for household chores and are therefore more likely to benefit from energy sector investments in household and household appliance electrification13. Improved electricity and gas supplies to residential areas reduce burdens of fuelwood collection typically placed on women, and provide important energy sources for homes and home-based industries.

Data demonstrate that electrification of homes can have differential impacts on men and women’s work outside the home. Women’s employment appears to increase with electrification as compared to men’s.14 A study in rural South Africa observed that women’s employment increased by a significant 9 percent within 5 years after electrification, while male employment increased by 3.5 percent.15 While no similar data could be found specific to West Africa, the South Africa example suggests that differential impacts might be expected in West Africa.

Outside of the home, women and men may benefit differently from the electrification of health care centers, schools, markets and water pumps.16 Women and men may experience the lighting of public spaces such as public latrines, markets, and transportation hubs differently; spaces where lighting may improve women’s personal safety more so than men’s17. While both women and men benefit from lighting any and all of these spaces, the differential impact on women’s livelihoods and security is significant.

While not an exhaustive list of all differentials, these examples demonstrate that men and women can experience different energy needs and benefit from electrification in different ways, with gender roles contributing to these differences.

B) Participation in the Energy Sector

13 Clark, Lauren, “Powering Households and Empowering Women: The Gendered Effects of Electrification in sub-Saharan Africa”,(May 5, 2021) https://jpia.princeton.edu/news/powering-households-and-empowering-women-gendered-effects-electrification-sub-saharan-africa 14 Energy Research and Social Science, Pueyo, Ana, Maestre, Mar, Linking energy access, gender and poverty: A review of the literature on productive uses of energy, (March 2019) 15 T. Dinkelman, The effects of rural electrification on employment: new evidence from South Africa 16 Van Leeuwn, Richenda, United Nations Foundation, Power for Girls and Women: 5 Facts on How Electricity Powers Progress, (April 4, 2016), at: https://unfoundation.org/blog/post/power-for-girls-and-women-5-facts-on-how-electricity-powers-progress/

17 Gender Sensitive Public Lighting, Why and How? Covenant of Mayors of Sub Saharan Africa (June 2021) https://jpia.princeton.edu/news/powering-households-and-empowering-women-gendered-effects-electrification-sub-saharan-africa https://jpia.princeton.edu/news/powering-households-and-empowering-women-gendered-effects-electrification-sub-saharan-africa https://unfoundation.org/blog/post/power-for-girls-and-women-5-facts-on-how-electricity-powers-progress/ https://unfoundation.org/blog/post/power-for-girls-and-women-5-facts-on-how-electricity-powers-progress/

A second area in which strong gender disparities exist is the energy sector workforce. The energy sector is highly male dominated with women’s participation limited in the workforce, including and especially in top management positions, as policy and decision makers, as externally financed entrepreneurs, as lawyers facilitating transactions, as bankers with knowledge of sector opportunities, and as investors.

Labor Force

Data from multiple sources site women’s underrepresentation in the energy sector workforce, with global estimates ranging around 20 percent18. Data specific to the energy sector in Africa is limited, but what data we have is in line with these global trends. A Power Africa supported study of women’s participation in African utilities demonstrated that women comprise 16-20% of their overall workforce, with that number dropping significantly within senior management or board level engagement19. In West African countries (excluding Nigeria and Senegal), occupational segregation is present in administrative and decision-making functions where women tend to occupy supporting roles in energy ministries20.

Women’s participation in the sector may vary across sub-sectors. For example, women enjoy greater representation in the Distributed Renewable Energy (DRE) industries in some countries as compared to conventional energy industries. A 2022 study determined the share of women in DRE was 41% in Kenya, 37% in Ethiopia and Nigeria, and 28% in Uganda, all of which exceed the sector wide estimate of 20%.21 While no West Africa specific data could be found, the countries surveyed in the cited study suggest there may be stronger representation of West African women in the DRE sector. While the renewable energy industry has a better gender balance than conventional energy industries, the share of women still falls short of the percentage employed in the overall economy.

Furthermore, like conventional energy industries, women in DRE also tend to work in administrative and support functions; and remain underrepresented in management and technical positions with women holding 13% of the positions that require STEM degrees22. With respect

18 https://www.catalyst.org/research/women-in-energy-gas-mining-oil/, and https://www.globalwomennet.org/gwnet-contributes-to-new-irena-study-on-renewable-energy-a-gender-perspective/ and https://www.theguardian.com/careers/2019/jun/25/women-in-power-why-the-energy-industry-needs-more-female-engineers 19 IUCN Global Programme on Governance and Rights, Energizing Equality: Unlocking the potential of women’s participation in sub-Saharan African energy utilities (November 2019), pg.V, gender@iucn.org 20 Gender Equity and Mainstreaming in Renewable Energy Policies - Empowering Women in the Energy Value Chain in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1504619 21 IRENA “Renewable Energy and Jobs: Annual Review 2022” https://www.irena.org/publications/2022/Sep/Renewable-Energy-and-Jobs-Annual-Review-2022 22 Power for All: Powering Job Census 2022.

https://www.powerforall.org/application/files/3016/6324/8657/Powering-Jobs-Census-2022-914.pdf https://www.catalyst.org/research/women-in-energy-gas-mining-oil/ https://www.globalwomennet.org/gwnet-contributes-to-new-irena-study-on-renewable-energy-a-gender-perspective/ https://www.globalwomennet.org/gwnet-contributes-to-new-irena-study-on-renewable-energy-a-gender-perspective/ https://www.theguardian.com/careers/2019/jun/25/women-in-power-why-the-energy-industry-needs-more-female-engineers https://www.theguardian.com/careers/2019/jun/25/women-in-power-why-the-energy-industry-needs-more-female-engineers mailto:gender@iucn.org https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1504619 https://www.irena.org/publications/2022/Sep/Renewable-Energy-and-Jobs-Annual-Review-2022 https://www.powerforall.org/application/files/3016/6324/8657/Powering-Jobs-Census-2022-914.pdf to leadership, women comprised 27 % of members of boards of directors, 30 % of CEOs, 16 % of vice presidents, and 26 % of managers across SSA23.

Cultural and social norms are typically cited as a major barrier to women entering the workforce.

A commonly referenced narrative is that women and girls spend a significant amount of their time on household work and childcare, thereby limiting their ability to pursue education and career opportunities. Furthermore, not only are education opportunities limited, but those women and girls who do attend school do not enroll in STEM programs or pursue STEM careers, reinforcing a stereotype that STEM jobs are not appropriate for women and girls24. Women are currently underrepresented in STEM careers in SSA Africa, where only 18 to 31 percent of science researchers are women, compared to 49 percent in Europe. That narrative however may be changing for the better; a 2022 study found that African universities have the highest percentage of women science graduates in the world. Forty-seven percent of African universities’ STEM graduates at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels are women, as compared to 42% in Europe and 39% in North America25. While this data is not specific to SSA or West Africa, it suggests that women’s limited representation in STEM studies and associated careers may be increasing in these regions.

The underrepresentation of women in the sector is significant for two reasons. First, it demonstrates that investments in the energy sector are not providing the full societal benefit they would if women were also participating in the energy sector workforce. And second, it demonstrates that the negative impacts of excluding women from the workforce are not only felt by women. A growing body of evidence demonstrates the business case for diversity and inclusion in the workforce26. In Africa, companies in the top quartile with regards to women’s representation on executive committees outperformed industry peers by 14% on average27.

Specific to the energy sector, an index comparing the performance of power utilities demonstrated that the top 20 most gender diverse utilities significantly out-performed the lower

23 IFC, Energy2Equal Africa, Women’s participation in the renewable energy workforce in Sub-Saharan Africa: identifying barriers and opportunities for women as leaders and employees (2022), https://www.ifc.org/en/types/insights-reports/2022/womens-participation-in-the-renewable-energy-workforce-in-sub-saharan-africa 24 IFC, Energy2Equal Africa, Women’s participation in the renewable energy workforce in Sub-Saharan Africa: identifying barriers and opportunities for women as leaders and employees (2022), https://www.ifc.org/en/types/insights-reports/2022/womens-participation-in-the-renewable-energy-workforce-in-sub-saharan-africa 25 United Nations Economic Commission for Africa: Leveraging Digitalisation for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Africa (2022) 26 Multiple resources include:

- MSCI. 2015. “Women on Boards: Global Trends in Gender Diversity on Corporate Boards.”

- Credit Suisse Research Institute. 2012. “Gender Diversity and Corporate Performance.”

- Ernest & Young. 2015. “Women. Fast Forward. The Time for Gender Parity is Now.”

- Credit Suisse Research Institute. 2016. “The CS Gender 3000: The Reward for Change.” E

27 McKinsey & Company, Women Matter Africa, (August 2016), pg. 7, At:

https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/gender-equality/women-matter-africa https://en.unesco.org/news/one-three-researchers-woman#:%7E:text=Globally%2C%20women%20make%20up%2033.3,covering%20the%20years%202015%E2%80%932018.

https://en.unesco.org/news/one-three-researchers-woman#:%7E:text=Globally%2C%20women%20make%20up%2033.3,covering%20the%20years%202015%E2%80%932018.

https://www.ifc.org/en/types/insights-reports/2022/womens-participation-in-the-renewable-energy-workforce-in-sub-saharan-africa https://www.ifc.org/en/types/insights-reports/2022/womens-participation-in-the-renewable-energy-workforce-in-sub-saharan-africa https://www.ifc.org/en/types/insights-reports/2022/womens-participation-in-the-renewable-energy-workforce-in-sub-saharan-africa https://www.ifc.org/en/types/insights-reports/2022/womens-participation-in-the-renewable-energy-workforce-in-sub-saharan-africa https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/gender-equality/women-matter-africa

20 in return on equity, concluding that gender diversity is tied to better business performance for power and utilities.28

This data demonstrates that the sector would benefit from greater participation of women in the workforce including in decision making processes. Within the public sector, energy sector policies that consider the needs and preferences of both men and women are more likely to be responsive to the population as a whole. Within the private sector, projects or products that consider the needs and preferences of all potential customers are more likely to succeed.

Increasing women’s participation in the sector will require an increased demand for women in the workforce as well as an increased supply of workforce ready women. Increasing the demand will involve amplifying the business case for gender equity in the workforce, and facilitating sector stakeholders’ adoption of best practices to promote gender equity in the workforce.

Increasing the supply of women interested in and capable of securing jobs and advancing their careers in the sector will involve capacity building in professional and vocational institutions, on the job training, mentoring, professional skills development, and support and advocacy from men.

Financed Entrepreneurs

Meeting the electricity needs of 600 million people in Sub Saharan Africa depends on both public and the private sector actors working together in complementary roles. Private sector actors including entrepreneurs, developers, and investors play a critical role in electrifying Africa.

One specific limitation associated with women’s participation as energy sector business owners, developers, investors and entrepreneurs is women’s access to finance. The IFC estimates that as many as 70 percent of women-owned small to medium sized businesses in the formal sector in developing countries are unserved or under-served by financial institutions. This amounts to a financing gap, and missed business opportunities of approximately $260 – $320 billion per year.29

Access to finance is a challenge for any new business, however, certain barriers to financing affect women uniquely or disproportionately, and this is especially true in many African countries. As an example, some banks and lending institutions require collateral and credit history, indirectly discriminating against women who may be less likely to meet the requirements. Laws in some countries discriminate against women and impede their ability to

28 EY, Women in Power Utilities Index 2016, pg. 9, At: https://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/ey-talent-at-the-table-women-in-power-and-utilities-index-2016/$FILE/ey-talent-at-the-table-women-in-power-and-utilities-index-2016.pdf 29 Women Entrepreneurs Are Essential for Private Sector Development in Emerging Markets, pg. 1, At:

https://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/d7623440-8bb4-4827-9ce5- 470dcb6f86b1/Entrepreneurship+Offering+Brochure+July2017.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CVID=lQps6KM https://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/ey-talent-at-the-table-women-in-power-and-utilities-index-2016/$FILE/ey-talent-at-the-table-women-in-power-and-utilities-index-2016.pdf https://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/ey-talent-at-the-table-women-in-power-and-utilities-index-2016/$FILE/ey-talent-at-the-table-women-in-power-and-utilities-index-2016.pdf https://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/ey-talent-at-the-table-women-in-power-and-utilities-index-2016/$FILE/ey-talent-at-the-table-women-in-power-and-utilities-index-2016.pdf https://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/d7623440-8bb4-4827-9ce5-470dcb6f86b1/Entrepreneurship+Offering+Brochure+July2017.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CVID=lQps6KM https://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/d7623440-8bb4-4827-9ce5-470dcb6f86b1/Entrepreneurship+Offering+Brochure+July2017.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CVID=lQps6KM participate fully in the economy, for example, women do not have the equal right to inheritance in 9 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa30.

Policy-Making and Leadership

As noted above, the energy sector is highly male dominated, with women’s participation in leadership and policy-making especially low. While women comprise approximately 20% of the sector’s workforce in Africa, an AfDB study found that women comprise only 14% of utility board members.31 And while not specific to Africa, an IEA report found female representation lower in more senior management positions relative to less senior management positions, citing that women’s representation drops to less than 5% at the most senior posts such as chair of the board, CEO, or president32. In sub-Saharan Africa, there are three women ministers of energy and one woman deputy energy minister. Of the four, two of the ministers are in the West African region33. Women’s extremely limited participation in senior leadership positions indicates that women’s voices, concerns and perspectives are not taken into account in the most senior decision making realms.

A Power Africa study analyzed 192 national energy frameworks from around the world, finding that nearly one-third of the documents included references to women and/or gender. The study reviewed 45 frameworks from Sub Saharan Africa finding the region to far exceed the global average, with 73% of policies including references to gender. While Africa outperformed all other regions in recognizing gender as an issue for the sector, the majority of the policies characterized women as beneficiaries of electricity services, with only two referring to women as agents of change. This analysis demonstrated that while African nations recognize gender as an issue in the energy sector, few policies aim to leverage women’s potential to drive policy change.

The major deficiencies in women’s representation in senior level and decision making positions is problematic. This analysis illustrates the very real impacts of energy poverty and climate change on women’s livelihoods as well as the differential energy needs of men and women -underscoring the need to hear women’s voices and take into account their perspectives in decision and policy making processes.

Gender Based Violence in the workforce

30 https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/32639/9781464815324.pdf 31 Where are the Women? Inclusive Boardrooms in Africa’s Top Listed Companies. AFDB, 2015.

https://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/Documents/Publications/Where_are_the_Women_Inclusive_ Boardrooms_in_Africa%E2%80%99s_top-listed_companies.pdf 32 IEA, “Women in senior management roles at energy firms remains stubbornly low, but efforts to improve gender diversity are moving apace”

33 Senegal, Togo, and Uganda’s energy ministers are women, while South Africa’s deputy energy minister is a woman.

https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/32639/9781464815324.pdf https://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/Documents/Publications/Where_are_the_Women_Inclusive_Boardrooms_in_Africa%E2%80%99s_top-listed_companies.pdf https://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/Documents/Publications/Where_are_the_Women_Inclusive_Boardrooms_in_Africa%E2%80%99s_top-listed_companies.pdf https://www.iea.org/commentaries/women-in-senior-management-roles-at-energy-firms-remains-stubbornly-low-but-efforts-to-improve-gender-diversity-are-moving-apace https://www.iea.org/commentaries/women-in-senior-management-roles-at-energy-firms-remains-stubbornly-low-but-efforts-to-improve-gender-diversity-are-moving-apace

Gender-based Violence (GBV) is an umbrella term that captures the unequal power and control exerted by one party over another, which can take a variety of forms including physical or sexual violence, emotional and/or financial abuse. More than one in three women will experience GBV in her lifetime. Workplace sexual harassment is a form of GBV. Data demonstrate that women who work in male dominated industries, such as the energy sector, are more likely to be victims of workplace sexual harassment34. Furthermore, victims of sexual harassment in male dominated settings are more likely to experience stronger negative mental health impacts than peers who experience harassment in mixed work settings35. Given that the energy sector is highly male dominated, GBV is an issue for the energy sector workforce.

C) Climate Change

The energy sector is a key contributor to climate change, accounting for more than two-thirds of global greenhouse gas emissions36. Climate change is not gender neutral, women and girls bear the brunt of the dire impacts of the climate crisis. Women and children are 14 times more likely than men to die due to climate disasters, and make up 80% of the populations displaced due to climate disasters37. Women and girls constitute the majority of the world's poor and they are the first to feel the impacts of depleting natural resources38.

But women and girls are not simply victims of climate change, they have valuable knowledge and skills that make them powerful change agents in designing and implementing climate solutions that benefit all people. Women’s participation in the energy sector can help to shape inclusive climate change dialogue and support climate change friendly management practices. It has been found that women in leadership positions create and improve climate change policy more often than men. A study of 130 countries showed that countries with a high representation of women in their administrations are more likely to ratify international environment treaties39.

Governments’ are responding to climate change through commitments to reducing dependence on fossil fuels and increasing renewable energy production. Governments across Africa are committing to ambitious increases in renewable energy generation. The Government of Nigeria

34 Heather McLaughlin, Christopher Uggen, and Amy Blackstone, “The Economic and Career Effects of Sexual Harassment on Working Women,” Gender and Society, vol. 31 June 2017.

35 Victor E. Sojo, Robert E. Wood, and Anna E. Genat, “Harmful Workplace Experiences and Women’s Occupational Well-Being: A Meta-Analysis” August 27 2015.

36 Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Energy Data Explorer, November 2021. https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/data-tools/greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-energy-data-explorer 37 UN Women. Why is Climate Change a Gender Issue? https://www.uncclearn.org/wp-content/uploads/library/unwomen704.pdf 38 UN Women. Women, Gender Equality and Climate Change.

https://www.un.org/womenwatch/feature/climate_change/downloads/Women_and_Climate_Change_Fact sheet.pdf 39 Norgaard, Kari, and Richard York. “Gender Equality and State Environmentalism.” Gender and Society, vol. 19, no. 4, Sage Publications, Inc., 2005, pp. 506–22, http://www.jstor.org/stable/30044614 http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0891243217704631 http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0891243217704631 https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/data-tools/greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-energy-data-explorer https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/data-tools/greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-energy-data-explorer https://www.uncclearn.org/wp-content/uploads/library/unwomen704.pdf http://www.jstor.org/stable/30044614 vowed to reach net zero by 2060. The Governments of Burkina Faso and Rwanda have set goals of achieving 50 and 60 percent of their energy from renewable sources by 2030 respectively. 40 The Government of Liberia is committed to generating more than 75 percent of rural electricity from renewables by 2030.41 As the sector transitions to adopt more renewable solutions, employment opportunities will arise in the renewable energy sector, creating potential opportunities for men and women alike to participate in this growing industry.

Understanding and addressing the disproportionate negative impacts of the climate crisis on women and girls, and the importance of championing women as thought leaders, is vital to successfully tackling climate change across multiple sectors including the energy sector.

II) GENDER INFORMED APPROACHES

The different impacts of energy access and use among men and women, as well as their differing participation in the energy sector workforce underscore the importance of considering women’s needs in developing policies and programs aimed at increasing access to electricity.

Stakeholders across the sector are responding to a growing interest in gender issues.

At the policy level, national and regional entities have adopted policy measures to improve women’s access to and participation in the energy sector. As an example, at the regional level The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) developed a policy for gender mainstreaming in energy access, mandating the alignment of energy policies, programmes and initiatives with principles of gender equality42. At a national level, DRC’s National Electrification and Rural Energy Services Agency’s “Strategy to Promote Gender Equality in Access to Energy Services in Rural and Peri-Urban Areas” promotes gender inclusion in the agency’s governance, culture, and operations. It also aims to remedy low participation of women in technical and leadership roles43.

Within the investment community, interest in and commitments to gender lens investing are growing, an investment strategy that uses capital to alleviate gender disparities and to enhance investment decisions. The 2X Challenge, an initiative of the G7 and DFIs launched in 2018 with an original collective commitment to invest $3 billion in women owned businesses. The 2X Challenge far surpassed its original goals; to date $27.7 billion have been invested under the challenge. West African energy sector investments have qualified for investments under the

40 https://www.se4all-africa.org/seforall-in-africa/country-data/rwanda/ 41 https://gestoenergy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/LIBERIA-RURAL-ENERGY-STRATEGY-AND-MASTER- PLAN.pdf 42 ECOWAS Policy for Gender Mainstreaming in Energy Access 43https://powerafrica.medium.com/leaving-no-one-behind-drcs-rural-electrification-agency-commits-to-gender-equality-4c0410b9f839 https://www.se4all-africa.org/seforall-in-africa/country-data/rwanda/ https://powerafrica.medium.com/leaving-no-one-behind-drcs-rural-electrification-agency-commits-to-gender-equality-4c0410b9f839 https://powerafrica.medium.com/leaving-no-one-behind-drcs-rural-electrification-agency-commits-to-gender-equality-4c0410b9f839 fund, including a DFC loan to distribute solar kits and appliances to individuals, schools, health clinics and small businesses in Chad.

By acknowledging that investments in the energy sector have considerable gender impacts, and addressing these issues, Power Africa’s investments can advance the outcomes of the Agency Policy on Gender Equality and Female Empowerment as well as the Biden Administration’s recently launched National Strategy of Gender Equity and Equality44. Projects and programs that improve gender parity in access to electricity, and consider women’s energy needs will reduce gender disparities. By reducing the burdens of energy poverty, women and girls can participate more fully in the societies in which they live and determine their life outcomes.

As Power Africa invests in the sector, careful consideration of how to integrate women in this growing sector, can create opportunities to mitigate gender disparities and promote gender equality while strengthening the energy sector. Including women in decision making processes and across the energy sector workforce will reduce gender disparities by creating opportunities in a male dominated sector. Including women in the workforce will also increase women’s capability to determine their life outcomes by creating job opportunities for women.

Strengthening women’s participation in the workforce and access to finance will also allow the sector to realize the improved performance correlated with a gender diverse workforce.

By making dedicated efforts to increase women’s access to electricity and integrate women into this sector, Power Africa has the potential to effect transformational change.

III) POWER AFRICA GENDER GOALS AND ACTIVITIES

Power Africa’s stated gender goal is to meet the energy needs of women while creating opportunities for women throughout the energy sector value chain. Progress toward this goal has focused on advancing two objectives responding to two of the main gender gaps articulated above:

● Increase women’s access to energy services

● Increase women’s participation in the energy sector workforce

Power Africa has not, to date, focused on the impact of climate change on women and girls.

A summary of Power Africa’s original objectives and past interventions to address them is offered below. This table is organized around the two original objectives with an additional

44 The White House, “National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality” 2021 https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/National-Strategy-on-Gender-Equity-and- Equality.pdf https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/National-Strategy-on-Gender-Equity-and-Equality.pdf section dedicated to GBV. This table is illustrative, not an exhaustive list of all Power Africa interventions.

Increase women’s access to energy and energy services

Opportunity Activity

Advance gender-informed policy development

Support to national and regional entities to develop gender informed energy policies that ensure that men and women benefit from access to electricity.

Example: Power Africa provided support to ECOWAS to develop a policy on “Gender Mainstreaming in Energy Access” and a complementary “Directive on Gender Assessment in Energy Projects”.

The Directive provides a framework for Member States to ensure that women and marginalized groups in project-affected communities participate in energy projects and are adequately protected from the potential adverse impacts of them.

Example: The Power Africa Off Grid Program assisted the Rural Electrification Agency of DRC to develop a policy to “Promote Gender Equality in Access to Energy Services in Rural and Peri-Urban Areas”. The policy promotes gender inclusion in the Agency’s governance, culture, and operations, and aims to remedy low participation of women in technical and leadership roles.

Meet the needs of women as customers

Support on an off grid sector actors’ ability to meet the energy needs of women, including but not limited to PUE technologies.

Example: The Power Africa Off Grid Program worked with off grid company, Simusolar to develop a gender-focused market strategy.

The strategy assessed the productive use technology challenges faced by women farmers in order to better meet their specific needs as customers of off grid technology solutions.

Electrify GBV response centers

Support the electrification of GBV response centers to enhance their capacity to provide needed care.

Example: The Nigeria Power Sector Program worked with two private sector companies - ENGIE Energy Access and Greenlight Planet - to supply 110 solar home system (SHS) units for use in two GBV prevention centers, and for essential workers to use at home.The systems allow the centers and their workers to extend their working hours, provide uninterrupted essential services and treatments, and make telecommunications services more accessible.

Electrify Maternal and Child health care center

Support the electrification of Maternal and Child Health care facilities to increase their ability to provide needed care to women.

Example: The Power Africa Off Grid Program partnered with Africa Bureau Health Office to electrify seven healthcare facilities that provide maternal and child health services in Malawi and Uganda.

Power Africa is mobilizing solar energy companies that understand local communities’ needs, commit to a long-term business plan, and can implement off-grid technologies innovatively to improve the wellbeing of mothers, children, and healthcare workers.

Increase women’s participation in the workforce

Opportunity Activity

Mobilize finance for women Support investor’s adoption of Gender Lens Investing Principles to promote greater investment in women-owned companies.

Example: The Power Africa Off Grid Program works with a number of impact investors to support their adoption of Gender Lens Investing principles. PAOP developed a tool to guide investors in GLI decision making processes informed by the criteria established by the 2X challenge. PAOP also works with off grid companies to help them meet the criteria of gender lens investors.

Promote policies to advance gender equity in the workforce

Support energy sector actors (utilities, off grid companies, developers, investors) to adopt policies and best practices that advance gender equality within their workforce.

Example: Power Africa bought into USAID’s Engendering Industries program which works across male dominated sectors to advance gender equity in the workforce. The program trains participating utilities to apply best practices through intensive coaching and an executive leadership training program. Participating West African utilities included participants from Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, and Senegal.

Support the adoption of Sexual Harassment Policies

Support the development of sexual harassment policies to respond to sexual harassment in the male dominated energy sector workforce.

Example: The Southern Africa Energy Program supported the transmission utility in Angola (RNT) in developing a gender action plan with the goal of preventing and mitigating gender-based violence and improving workplace conditions and opportunities for women related to the construction of the Central-South transmission line in Angola.

Provide job training and job placement

Provide women with job training opportunities to allow them to gain the skills needed to advance their careers within the energy sector.

Example: The East Africa Energy Program launched an apprenticeship program which places early professionals in paid internships in the energy sector to gain valuable job experience.

Provide leadership and professional skills development

Provide women with leadership and professional skills opportunities to allow them to gain the skills needed to advance their careers within the energy sector.

Example: Power Africa collaborated with the YALI RLC in Senegal to develop a leadership training which focused on building the leadership skills of young women entering the energy sector.

Build professional women’s networks

Build professional women in energy networks that help women access job opportunities and forge professional relationships.

Example: Power Africa’s Women in African Power provided sustainability training to 6 women in energy networks in Africa, including two in Nigeria and one in Ghana. The training built the organizational capacity of the networks allowing them to better serve the needs of their members.

While Power Africa has addressed important gender considerations through its programming to date, new and additional interventions should also be considered in future activities. Possible interventions include:

Women’s Limited Access to Electricity:

● Technical assistance to utilities to collect gender disaggregated data and better serve women led households.

● Technical assistance to regulators to consider gender issues in tariff setting.

Women’s Limited participation in the energy sector:

● Power Africa to support women-led or women-owned transactions

Climate Change

● Build women’s capacity to participate in the clean energy sector as technicians, entrepreneurs, policy makers, and investors.

Gender Based Violence:

● Use utility and off grid distribution networks to share information about GBV prevention and response.

● Ensure all Power Africa Private Sector partners have valid sexual harassment policies.

IV) MONITORING AND EVALUATION

Power Africa’s current results framework identifies one overarching goal and three supporting development objectives.

Activities focused on differences in men’s and women’s access to and use of electricity will most likely fall under DO1, “Ending energy poverty”. Activities focused on addressing the differences in men’s and women’s participation in the energy sector will most likely fall under DO3, “Bolstering competitive private sector investment and innovation in the energy sector”.

Finally, activities focused on the disproportionate impact of climate change on women and girls as a consequence of unsustainable energy sector policies and investments, will most likely fall under DO2, “Accelerating a carbon free future”. Just clean energy transitions, as a principles-based approach, necessarily includes climate mitigation and adaptation activities.

Power Africa’s Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) plan offers a suite of indicators to collect data and report the results of our efforts to advance each development objective and associated intermediate results. At the time of drafting this analysis, the proposed gender indicators for Power Africa’s MEL plan include:

1) 1.3.1 Number of women benefiting from on-the-job, technical, or professional development training as a result of Power Africa assistance

2) 3.4.1 Number of institutions adopting policies or procedures to promote gender equity in the energy sector workforce as a result of Power Africa support

3) 3.2.2 Total public and private funds leveraged by USG for energy projects. Note: This one includes a disaggregate for Gender Lens Investing.

In addition to these indicators, a number of other indicators will include a sex disaggregate which will allow us to collect additional data on the impact of our activities on men and women.

V) IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS: GENDER STRATEGIES

Power Africa implementing partners will be required to maximize the participation of women in electricity development and implementation at the mechanism level in accordance with ADS

201.3.9. Implementing partners will be required to conduct gender analyses at the activity level.

In addition, it is recommended that implementing partners develop and have approved by USAID a gender strategy or gender integration action plan. Informed by the gender analysis, the gender strategy articulates how gender considerations will be addressed within the scope and sphere of influence of the activity. The strategy will include indicators offering how the implementing partner will capture impact.

VI) SUMMARY

This gender analysis offers a general overview of gender gaps that exist within the SSA power sector with an effort to highlight issues and examples pertinent to the West African power sector.

The three main gender gaps identified include: 1) differences in men’s and women’s access to and use of electricity, 2) differences in men’s and women’s participation in the energy sector value chain, and 3) the disproportionate impact of climate change on women and girls as a consequence of unsustainable energy sector policies and investments. Because this analysis is meant to inform a wide range of potential mechanisms, supplementary specific gender analyses should be conducted at the activity level. In addition, it is recommended that implementing partners be required to submit gender strategies and gender integration action plans that articulate how they intend to integrate gender considerations into their projects and programs.