1. Mainstreaming Gender in Energy Policy
Working Group 1
Mainstreaming Gender in Energy Policy

2. Guiding Questions Identify gender constraints and opportunities
Select at least two priority policy areas within the sector for mainstreaming gender
Define the mechanisms required to achieve the expected outcomes
Make a convincing argument to the Cabinet on our proposal

3. Gender Constraints
Women unable to get into professions that help them to pursue careers in the energy field
Male dominated (closed male shop) & therefore more openness from males is necessary
Women afraid to get into relevant fields
Energy policies are gender blind
Energy sector is very centralised and therefore access to resources is limited

4. Gender Opportunities Job creation for women
Involvement in the macro economy
Involvement in decision making at higher levels
Improving livelihoods
Energy is cross cutting across other sectors

5. Priority policy areas for mainstreaming gender
Access to clean and sustainable energy services
Efficient and affordable energy services

6. Mechanisms to achieve the expected outcomes
Setting clear targets that are measurable and appointing a responsible body to ensure they are met
Establishing gender criteria in the financing of large energy projects – (How funding affects male/female)
Conducting gender audits to identify weak areas in GMS & developing strategies and action plans to address them

7. Mechanisms to achieve the expected outcomes (Contd..)
Providing financing mechanisms that enable women to move from lower to higher awareness levels (technical training & capacity building)
Governments should develop modalities of readily financing such processes
Designing projects in accordance with needs assessment (Not all women are at the same level)
Gender Ministries should take the lead in bringing the problems of women to the fore

8. Convincing argument to the Cabinet
GMS likely to lead to better targets, results and utilisation of budgetary resources
Greater contribution to economic development (increase in GDP in the medium term up to 1-3%)
Technical women’s contribution to the energy sector is immense
Need to support this with data that clearly defines the gap to be filled through GMS

9. Convincing argument to the Cabinet (Contd..)
It is a right for women to have access to clean and affordable energy services
Women are the majority in rural areas and therefore GMS will enable them to deliver on the rural development mandate
It will lead to the achievement of a better functioning society in terms of productivity (Labour input/output) & social balance