1. Gender Equality and Energy: Opportunities for Accelerated Sustainable Development Dominique Lallement World Renewable Energy Congress Glasgow. July 20 th, 2008

2. Setting the tone Energy and Gender Equality = critical elements to accelerate sustainable development Without gender equality in energy, women will be left behind in their economic empowerment and human capital development If gender equality is integrated into energy policies, programs, and projects, better prospects for accelerated sustainable development and greater effectiveness of development interventions

3. Energy & Gender: Differences? 1. Type and location of energy services and infrastructure; 2. Priorities for the development of services; 3. Participation in decision making on choice of energy services and infrastructure, both within the households and within communities; 4. Access to energy infrastructure services; and 5. Creation of energy enterprises or participation in energy labor market.

5. Seizing Opportunities Understanding Time poverty Understanding Health and Energy Sequencing for energy interventions  Social empowerment and welfare improvements needed first, to enable economic empowerment

6. Selected Issues 1.The Domestic Fuel Crisis 2.Decision-Making 3.Access to Energy and Non-Energy Business Opportunities 4.Access to Energy Assets 5.Climate Change

7. The Domestic Fuel Crisis Scarcity of the Resource Price of fuels Time burden Health burden Impact on food intake

8. Solutions to the Domestic Fuel Crisis Efficient stoves and fuels other than biomass). Mechanical energy to draw water, till, and transport crops Power to access information and develop home based businesses Targeted subsidies for safe domestic fuels and appliances and for the neediest households

9. Gender Equality in Decision- Making Fuel choices Design of technical solutions Location of energy supplies: women more inclined to support electricity for schools or community/business centers rather than individual home supplies. They better see the benefit for the whole community and or the whole household

10. Access to Energy Assets Issue: traditional ownership rights,lack of collateral, title Limited access to credit Lack of information : men participate more as women are overloaded with tasks and responsibilities

11. Access to Energy and Non-Energy Business Opportunities The supply of energy services is a significant business, creating income and employment. Similarly, the development of energy infrastructure offers significant employment opportunities. The participation of women and men in various energy supply businesses tends to be technology driven. In rural areas, there is a higher participation of men in such activities as electricity generation based on diesel, micro-hydro, modern biogas, and solar power, while women’s businesses are based on traditional biomass (charcoal, dung cakes). Women are also actively engaged in energy product marketing, kerosene, parafine or LPG distribution. Partipation in the labor market: trained engineers and technicians? Non-energy businesses when energy service becomes available but, need to include « productive use component in energy projects.

12. Suggestions to practitioners Gender Audits Gender Sensitivity Training Gender Tools Gender demand approach Designing policies, programs and projects through the gender lens Sequencing: empowerment, decision making, welfare improvement, economic empowerment Assessing risks and vulnerabilities (Labor: harrassment) M and E

13. The sustainable development perspective Preserving the resource base Developing human capital Preserving welfare gains  investing earned income versus drinking earned income