View source for Webinar: Mainstreaming Gender-Responsiveness

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== Mainstreaming Gender-Responsiveness - Maximising the impacts of energy access by effectively integrate gender-responsiveness for the empowerment of women ==
This online seminar is the fifth and last in our joint series hosted by WISIONS in cooperation with the ACCESS Coalition’s Learning Group. It focuses on how to maximise the development effects of energy access.

Energy poverty disproportionately affects women and girls. By addressing '''gender-specific needs''' in energy access projects, we can improve women’s health, safety, education and economic opportunities.

This digital seminar explores how energy access interventions can effectively integrate gender-responsiveness for the empowerment of women.

Our expert speakers explain key terminology and focus on the aspects that need to be considered for mainstreaming gender, sharing practical experiences from '''Tanzania''' and '''Nepal'''.

Missed the previous seminar? It focused on [[Webinar: Inclusive Energy Planning|inclusive energy planning]].

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== Mainstreaming Gender-Responsiveness ==
The webinar started by giving an overview of the key terminology, stressing the point that gender-responsiveness means to be aware of differences and to integrate specific actions into the project design to address these differences.

Our first panellist highlighted the need to carry out a detailed gender analysis or assessment at a very early stage of the project design. Such an analysis creates an understanding of the root causes of inequalities and of types and levels of vulnerabilities. Becoming aware of these challenges helps to identify potential effective entry points for gender mainstreaming. Subsequently, a gender action plan needs to be developed, which should include disaggregated data for every project activity and target. The expert recommends developing this plan in close consultation with stakeholders and local partners, who are aware of the local social and cultural norms.

The second presentation focuses on how gender can be mainstreamed into policy, strategies and programmes. The example from Tanzania shows that policy determines if energy access programmes are gender-blind, gender-sensitive or gender-responsive. The experience shared by the speaker illustrates the challenges faced by an NGO in trying to guide the gender work of a national Ministry of Energy. The solution to these challenges was to approach a different ministry: the one responsible for gender integration into policies. The learning here is to understand multiple entry points in an advocacy strategy.

The third example from Nepal focuses on productive uses of energy and highlights the relevance of gender-responsive approaches in women’s economic empowerment through encouraging entrepreneurship development. Business counselling, mentoring and support that continue after the initial training are critical factors for success. Furthermore, creating links with ecosystem stakeholders (e.g., market actors and service providers) ensures the sustainability of women’s businesses.

The general discussion stressed a further point: women are not only beneficiaries. A gender balance in the project staff and stakeholders is important for addressing sensitive issues. It also became clear that political will is key and policy actors at different management levels should be included at different project stages.

== Speakers ==

* Silvia Sartori, Senior Expert on Women in Energy in Central Asia at the OSCE; Gender & Energy Consultant
* Thabit Mikidadi, Program Manager, Tanzania Gender and Sustainable Energy Network (tangsen)
* Ashma Pakhrin, Monitoring Evaluation and Learning Expert, ADB TA 9334

==Moderator==
Dr. Willington Ortiz, Senior Researcher, Wuppertal Institute, WISIONS Inititative
==Documentation==
*Download the presentation:
[[File:Mainstreaming-Gender-Responsiveness all-slides.pdf|500x500px]]

* Download a summary with key takeaways [[:File:WISIONS-Takeaways Seminar-5.pdf|here]].

[[File:WISIONS-Takeaways Seminar-5.pdf|354x354px]]

==Further online seminars of the series ==
*[[Webinar: Setting the Scene|Setting the Scene]]
*[[Webinar: Understanding Communities|Understanding Communities]]
*[[Webinar: Drawing Economic Benefits|Drawing Economic Benefits]]
*[[Webinar: Inclusive Energy Planning|Inclusive Energy Planning]]
==Further Resources==
This guideline by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) provides practical advice for policy and decision makers to introduce and improve the integration of gender issues in renewable energy policies, plans and strategies:

* [https://wedocs.unep.org/items/c3658f86-2bfc-4e75-b5bc-ab562bac34d1 Gender Integration in Renewable Energy Policy: A Guideline for Renewable Energy Policy and Decision Makers]

This publication by Silvia Sartori, on behalf of the European Commission, Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development, offers insightful case studies of sustainable consumption and production projects in South Asia, Southeast Asia and East Asia:

* [https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/d3a049c6-7b1b-11e7-b2f2-01aa75ed71a1/language-en Advancing sustainable development and women's empowerment in Asia - Experiences from SWITCH-Asia programme]

This publication by ENERGIA highlights how gender equality and social inclusion can be mainstreamed in the programme and project cycles of the Nepal Electricity Authority. It provides an overview of the objectives, methodologies and project results:

* [https://energia.org/document/towards-gender-equality-and-social-inclusion-in-energy-utilities-approaches-methods-and-results-from-nepal/ Towards Gender Equality and Social Inclusion in Energy Utilities: Approaches, Methods, and Results from Nepal]


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