Vienna Energy Forum, Austria Empowering Customers as Producers The role of gender-responsive Clean energy Investments GEF Side-Event on: Innovative Business Models to Attract Sustainable Energy Investment for LDCs and SIDS Vienna Energy Forum, Austria 9 May 2017 Monica Maduekwe Programme Coordinator, ECOWAS Programme on Gender Mainstreaming in Energy Access (ECOW-GEN) WWW.ECREEE.ORG WWW.ECREEE.ORG

Gender-responsive clean energy investments From customers to producers : Income generation is improved through energy access Women are empowered through the business of improving energy access Objective: Climbing up the Energy Ladder What have we learnt from the mobile telecommunication experience? WWW.ECREEE.ORG

ECOWAS Women’s Business Fund –Results (Senegal) Going beyond electrification rates Built 7 furnaces Revolving microcredit fund created 300 rural women trained Results: Improved productivity & income levels Healthier working environment Improved social status (land acquisition) Spillover benefits: Cleaner air Community re-orientation WWW.ECREEE.ORG

ECOWAS Women’s Business Fund –Results (Ghana) Supply push (increasing availability and affordability): LPG stove production facility built Results: Manufacturing output increased & business expanded Reduced dependence on woodfuel Spillover benefits: Contributes to the country’s LPG program Young women employed in stove production Reduced air pollution WWW.ECREEE.ORG

Cross-regional Collaboration - IWON Mainstreaming gender in the energy sector ECREEE PCREEE CCREEE IWON - Island Women Open Network A flag-ship initiative that promotes gender mainstreaming in sustainable energy sector of SIDS in the Pacific, Caribbean, Africa and Indian Ocean. Gender-responsive investment and business promotion WWW.ECREEE.ORG

MERCI Monica Maduekwe Programme Coordinator, ECOW-GEN ECREEE Email: mmaduekwe@ecreee.org WWW.ECREEE.ORG