Gender and Energy: experiences and lessons learned

Transcription

1 Gender and Energy: experiences and lessons learned Annemarije Kooijman PhD SREP Pilot Countries Meeting Phnom Penh, Cambodia 2 February 2017 Hosted by:

2 Outline Why gender? Introducing ENERGIA : International Network on Gender and Sustainable Energy Learning from: Research Gender mainstreaming Women s Empowerment

3 Why gender? Project efficiency Energy value chain viability Economic growth Poverty alleviation Decreased inequity/ decreased risk: do no harm Empowerment Transformative change

4 What is gender? Gender: men and women and their ROLES and responsibilities Gender is NOT just sex disaggregation of data Gender is NOT male and female-headed households Gender analysis: looks beyond the household level understands how communities work from perspective of relations between women and men identifies constraints in participation; barriers and risks in implementation

5 ENERGIA International Network on Gender and Sustainable Energy ENERGIA contributes to ensuring access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy for all by: Bringing sustainable energy solutions to people in hard to reach communities Strengthening women-led micro and small businesses providing these energy solutions Generating the evidence base to support gender-inclusiveness in the energy sector Advocating for gender-inclusive energy policies and practices Sharing knowledge and best practices Hosted by Hivos, Netherlands Women Empowerment Gender and Energy Research Policy influencing and Advocacy Communications and Knowledge management

6 ENERGIA s Gender and Energy research programme Partners: universities, research institutions, NGOs Donor: DFID Timeframe: February 2014 February 2019 Empirical evidence for policy and practice Impacts of electrification Productive uses Political economy Energy sector reform Private Sector Lessons learned gender approaches

7 Gender along the energy chain Examples of issues Intervention/ policy Women in the supply chain, political economy of energy policy, impacts of subsidy reform Characteristics of energy supply Priority energy services for men and women (e.g., cooking, household water supply) Energy carriers for productive uses e.g., Informal food sector Use of energy services Energy access at AND WITHIN household level; male/female-headed households Endpoint/ impact Outcomes: health, time, education, food security, income and assets, employment Transformative change- empowerment

8 Examples of findings from research Intervention/ policy Subsidy can lead to elite capture Female representation does not guarantee gender-sensitive policy Characteristics of energy supply Meeting energy needs of the informal sector is important for women - especially thermal processing. Use of energy services Use of energy services and of appliances depends on gender roles Time saving can lead to new opportunities for women Endpoint/ impact Transformative change and empowerment e.g., via safety improvements; mobile phones-

9 Gender tools Gender Action Plan (GAP): goals, actions, workplan, monitoring Gender audit: analysis of energy planning, budgets, institutional capacity of ministries to implement gender-mainstreaming strategies; Links to broader national development objectives Gender Impact Assessment Gender vulnerability assessment Gender budgeting: Links budgets to gender objectives/ identifies budgets allocated to male/female interests

10 Gender mainstreaming approach in practice Assess the context Assess Organizational Capacity Assess Gender Situation on the Ground PREPARE: Background review, organizational assessment, consulting with project community Agree on Gender Goal DESIGN: Gender Action Plan, including goal, expected outcomes, activities and M&E framework Decide Gender Specific Activities Track Progress IMPLEMENT: Institutionalize the process (org. policies, staffing, capacity building, documentation) Feedback MONITOR: Track progress, outcomes and communicate

11 ECOWAS Policy for Gender Mainstreaming in Energy Access Strategic objectives 1. Achieve widespread understanding of energy and gender considerations at all levels of society 2. Ensure that all energy policies, programmes and initiatives, including large energy infrastructures and investments, are nondiscriminatory, gender-inclusive, gender-balanced and directed towards addressing inequalities, particularly energy poverty, differentially affecting men and women in the region 3. sector participation in energy-related technical fields and decision-making positions 4. Ensure that women and men have equal opportunities to enter and succeed in energy-related fields in the private sector 5. Establish and maintain a gender responsive monitoring, accountability and review framework for objectives 1-4

12 Experience with gender mainstreaming in Botswana: BPC (Botswana Power Corporation) BPC Conditions of Service aligned with national gender obligations Gender mainstreaming policy for BPC and reviewed CSR policy Engender planning by including gender disaggregated information on connection rates and obstacles to connection Starting point: 52 % of all rural households are female-headed yet they connect to the grid at only half the rate of male-headed households Outcomes: review the marketing strategies to also target women review products of BPC Result: Prepaid system: Ready box Photo: B.P.C., Botswana

13 Lessons learned: Mainstreaming Gender in Energy Sector Practice and Policy Success factors for gender mainstreaming (1) Commitment of management to the Gender Action Plan (output of each project and the overall programme) Local ownership Local specific Gender Analysis and analysis of political economy in design phase Stakeholder analysis to identify which organisations to engage with and whether they need support and the nature of that support.

14 Success factors for gender mainstreaming (2) Integrate gender mainstreaming across the entire project cycle: Integration of gender baselines, indicators, and disaggregation into existing frameworks The project must lead the mainstreaming process Peg expectations realistically: Impact is a long-term goal Work as a team (organisation, local gender expert, ENERGIA) Bring in methodologies and experiences from other countries, other sectors Follow-up and monitor based on identified targets and results

15 Women s Economic Empowerment (WE) Programme Scales up proven business models to strengthen capacity of women led MSEs to deliver energy services. Target: 2 million consumers Provides funding and technical support Timeframe: Partners: NGOs and Social Enterprises; Where: Kenya, Tanzania, Senegal, Uganda, Nigeria, Nepal, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Bhutan WE Programme Results (June 2016)

16 Challenge: Women s businesses are small, and have limited growth Response: Systematic recruitment, followed by integrated and sustained Business Development Services (BDS) and mentorship Recruitment to program Training on technology, financial literacy, marketing, and leadership Run a technology sales business Continuous support and mentoring Participants grow empowered, enjoy improved lives, and have a positive influence in their communities Baseline surveys Post-training test Routine communication & monthly monitoring Follow-up surveys 17

17 Challenges and response strategies Poor market linkages limiting business growth Products face global competition, and supply chain is unreliable Women entrepreneurs have limited access to finance Market identification, proactive marketing High-quality products, Trust-based selling, guarantees, mobile based alerts and servicing Loan Guarantee Funds with suppliers (Senegal); MFIs (Nepal, Indonesia); Rural Electrification Entity:CREE loans (Nepal) Women s businesses are small, and have limited growth Systematic recruitment, followed by integrated and sustained Business Development Services (BDS) and mentorship

18 Women energy entrepreneurs Gender gaps in access to finance, information, technology, goods and services, and markets unleash the full potential of women entrepreneurs in sustainable energy Addressing challenges of universal energy access Women s empowerment and poverty reduction

19 Value addition of the WE approach Capitalizes on a latent resource of women as micro and small entrepreneurs Women play a central role in supply chain, as trusted users and promoters of household and energy products Maximizes development gains through partnerships and linkages Works to strengthen the complete Ecosystem, not technology or finance alone. Customization, finance facilitation, and continued mentorship are key to the approach Uses successful strategies and results at the ground local level for advocating at national and international levels Reaches energy services to the un-served and last mile communities Women can be the key to scaling energy access, as asset creators, employers and innovators

20 More tools and info for follow up; www. energia.org o Gender toolkit o Womens economic empowerment energy entrepreneurs o Gender and Energy Research for policy and practice o Latest advocacy updates o Research reports and publications And many others, such as: o Gender Equality for Climate Change Opportunities (GECCO) initiative o Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves o Worldbank Training on Gender and Energy Thank you! Contact us: a.kooijman@hivos.org