Gender & Energy

For more than twenty years, ENDA Energie has been active in mainstreaming gender into all of its activities. This interest is rooted in the recognition of gender disparities and inequalities as limiting factors in the design and implementation of economic and social development plans and programmes. Taking into account the contributions and concerns of women and men can help inform programmes and plans, and thus contribute to their successful implementation considering the place of women and girls in the global population.

Moreover, in Senegal as in other African countries or developing countries where biomass is the main source of energy, the consideration of gender dimension in energy issues stems from the fact that within households, women have always played a major role in the management and supply of domestic energy. However, this relationship with energy does not take into account all the implications relating to their reproductive and productive roles which broaden the scope of their energy needs, particularly in the informal sector where they are often very active.

ENDA Energie considers that it is in these gender imbalances in the face of the challenges of access to energy and economic, social and environmental development that the gender and energy issue finds all its quintessence. It involves two challenges:

-      on the one hand, ensuring access to clean and low-cost energy, as well as to modern and efficient energy services, the vast majority of the excluded, and;

-      on the other hand, creating the conditions of development and women empowerment through high added value activities.

Thus, the need to take into account the gender approach both as an objective and as a methodological procedure in the field of energy becomes stronger, with the observation that the empowerment of women and the strengthening of their economic power cannot be achieved without access to clean, modern and efficient energy and energy technologies.

Highlighting the differentiated needs of men and women therefore remains necessary for improving the living conditions and development of communities, as well as for achieving sustainable development objectives, particularly in the energy sector. The various projects, programmes and activities related to energy which are implemented daily by ENDA Energie sufficiently confirm the relevance of mainstreaming gender into energy policies and programmes, on the one hand, and in initiatives of economic and social development, and promotion of social entrepreneurship on the other hand.

This mainstreaming approach helps to bridge the imbalance and gaps in energy access. It also aims to promote better care for the most vulnerable, while contributing to gender equity. In fact, based on these principles of equity and with a concern for effective social inclusion, ENDA Energie puts particular emphasis on the most vulnerable groups, in particular on women who suffer from strong discrimination in access to energy and modern energy services. Thus, to reduce their energy poverty and help improve their economic and social situation, ENDA Energie promotes the empowerment of women through very small and medium-sized enterprises, as an entry point. This empowerment of women through social entrepreneurship also contributes to the need to stimulate a transition from informal dynamics to formal structures, recognized and capable of competing in the markets, depending on the sectors of activity (fishing, livestock, crafts, agriculture, trade, etc. .) or value chains or sub-sectors (fish smoking, roasting of non-wood products, processing of dairy products, processing of horticultural products and production of juices and derived products, etc.) and which generate added value.

From planning to the assessment of results and impacts, the cross-cutting nature of gender is reflected in all policy, strategic and operational processes relating to universal access to energy services. This transformational perspective implies a conceptual proximity with political decision-makers, on the one hand, and convergences and synergies of action with international, national and local actors, on the other hand. More specifically, it also involves a commitment to updating legal (laws and other legal instruments on gender), and normative (international and national) standards and best practices (experiences capitalized from local to international) relating to gender and energy.

Given its expertise and experience ENDA Energie offers its assistance in:

-      gender audit,

-      action research,

-      technological innovation,

-      capacity building,

-      support in the design of local gender-sensitive development plans,

-      training and coaching, and

-      advocacy and awareness, at all scales and in different contexts.