<\/p>\n
The report, Women as Key Partners: A Gender\u2011Transformative Renewable Energy Strategy and Action Plan for The Gambia, outlines a framework to ensure women are actively included in shaping the country\u2019s energy future and to bridge the gap between policy commitments and implementation.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Findings show that energy poverty disproportionately affects women, particularly in rural areas. Around 90% of households still rely on biomass such as firewood and charcoal for cooking, while only 1.7% of the population has access to clean cooking solutions.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Electricity access also varies significantly, reaching about 85% in urban areas compared to 35\u201340% in rural communities. Despite these realities, women remain largely underrepresented in the sector, accounting for only about 1% of staff at the National Water and Electricity Company.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The study is based on data from surveys, focus groups and consultations conducted across all seven regions of the country, incorporating input from communities and stakeholders.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The strategy identifies key priorities, including strengthening policy and governance frameworks, expanding training and mentorship opportunities for women in renewable energy, improving access to finance, enhancing community engagement and deepening partnerships. It also emphasises aligning national efforts with regional best practices and strengthening institutions, such as the Gambia Renewable Energy Centre, as hubs for skills and innovation.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The report highlights major barriers limiting women\u2019s participation, including restricted access to finance, training, land and markets, as well as cultural norms, mobility constraints and low representation in science and technology education. At the same time, it documents examples of women already contributing to the sector through activities such as solar installation, clean cookstove initiatives and briquette production.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The action plan is scheduled for implementation between 2026 and 2030, led by the Ministry of Gender in collaboration with the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy and other partners.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Nathalie Gisabo Gahunga, Manager of Gender and Women\u2019s Empowerment at the African Development Bank, said the goal is to ensure equal participation. \u201cOur goal is to see women and girls participating in the energy transition process at all levels in equal position as men,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Gahunga added that this will require targeted training, mentorship and policies, as well as technologies that respond to women\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Gender, Saikou JC Trawally, described the report as a milestone for the country\u2019s transition to a sustainable energy future, calling on all stakeholders to contribute to building an inclusive and practical framework.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Foday Sanyang from the Ministry of Petroleum stressed the importance of factoring in gender considerations as renewable energy expands. \u201cRenewable energy is an attractive option to meet growing demand, but we must recognise the different needs of men and women,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
–AfDB\/ChannelAfrica–<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":38451,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"news-type":[44],"class_list":["post-38450","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-type-finance","entry"],"acf":{"short_description":"The African Development Bank (AfDB), in partnership with the Gambia\u2019s Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare and with support from the Climate Investment Funds, has released a report positioning women as equal partners in the country\u2019s renewable energy transition.","published_date":"","news_description":"The African Development Bank (AfDB), in partnership with the Gambia\u2019s Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare and with support from the Climate Investment Funds, has released a report positioning women as equal partners in the country\u2019s renewable energy transition.","form_embed":"","author":"","image_caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/38450","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/38450\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38452,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/38450\/revisions\/38452"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38451"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38450"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=38450"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}