Subscriber of the Month - TIE-ENERGIA

Contributed by Erin Boyd
30 August 2006

Learn about why it is TIE-ENERGIA is not only making headlines as a result of its success in integrating gender into energy policy and practice, but attracting so many of you.

In January of 2005, TIE-ENERGIA embarked on a mission to remove one of the major roadblocks to the successful implementation of policies and projects seeking to increase access to improved energy across Africa - the complete disregard of the gender aspects of energy in policy, planning and practice. To overcome this absence, TIE-ENERGIA, or "Turning Information into Empowerment: Strengthening Gender and Energy Networking in Africa", is instituting a straightforward, yet groundbreaking, approach - direct education of the energy policy-makers and practitioners themselves on how to integrate gender into energy. This is being achieved through two key actions. The first is a series of twelve national workshops attended by a select group of development practitioners and policy-makers; in these workshops, participants receive training and education on the importance of, and approach to, integrating gender and energy concerns into sustainable development and poverty reduction programmes. The second is three country-specific gender audits through which gender gaps in energy-poverty policies are identified and recommendations on how to fill such gaps made. Just over half way through the project, the group has already made impressive strides in building up a body of people capable of influencing policies and practices that affect women’s energy choices. As HEDON subscriber Francis Songela of the Tanzania Traditional Energy Development Organization (TaTEDO) relates about his training to become a national trainer, ‘Before, gender was hidden. People were talking about gender and the need to consider it, but no one knew how to approach it.’ Now no longer the case, Francis is already putting to use his newly acquired knowledge by both integrating gender into TaTEDO’s upcoming energy projects and by planning a workshop for those within TaTEDO, this in addition his national workshop in Tanzania.

The same is true on the policy side, as shown by the recent gender audit for Botswana, which examined:

  • Availability of gender-related energy statistics;
  • Gender organisational management and awareness, and mainstreaming in energy-related programmes;
  • Gender perspectives in the Botswana Draft Energy Policy;
  • Resource mobilisation for gender and energy related policies and programmes; and
  • The role of gender and energy in achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
The detailed results of this audit were used to formulate a set of actions required to improve gender’s integration into energy policy and practice. For example, in collecting and analyzing available data, two key results emerged: survey data on gender-related energy statistics is clearly lacking, and, given this limited data, there is a distinct difference between female and male energy needs and how the two gender groups are performing in terms of accessing modern energy sources/fuels. To remedy this gap, the Energy Affairs Division (EAD) of Botswana must ensure that future surveys generate disaggregated data which properly measures the disparities between male and female performance in the energy sector. This data can then be used both for planning and decision making as well as for developing and monitoring critical indicators on gender groups to track success.

Likewise, consider the ability to mobilise resources, as part of government budgets and expenditures, for gender and energy related policies and programmes; this mobilisation is critical for policy formulation (e.g., creating awareness within the government and formulating relevant national policies to guide development), strategy (e.g., enhance capacity and capability), and operations (e.g., implement and sustain the policies and programmes). In reviewing the government financial statements for the period 2004/05, the audit revealed that expenditure on budgets for energy projects supervised by the EAD were directed towards promoting the use of energy sources for socio-economic development and social equity, and not purposely for addressing gender specific needs. For other key ministries, notably the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs, and the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, there was limited or no linkage between energy and gender. If resources are to be mobilized, a funding strategy that supports gender-responsive policies and programmes must be established. This necessarily includes the clear and actual allocation of budgets towards gender specific items, and a reflection of such in government budget and expenditure statements. This should be buttressed by a monitoring and evaluation system to show how gender groups are specifically targeted for in budgets.

Fortunately, the benefits are not limited to the participants alone. As the process and methodologies developed as part of this project are adaptable to other countries, the dissemination of training packages and the creation and maintenance of a knowledge repository are all key aspects of TIE-ENERGIA’s mission. One need only visit the TIE-ENERGIA website - www.energia-africa.org – to understand. For example, here, one can find Generic Training Modules on the following topics:

  • Gender and Energy Policy - the rationale and tools for developing and implementing gender aware policies
  • Gender and Advocacy - tools, techniques and the rationale for policy advocacy
  • Project Proposal Development - tools to plan and produce competitive energy and gender proposals
The website also contains a publications database, annotated bibliographies, and copies of gender audits, among other useful items.

With so much success, and such a desire to share with all, the long-term impacts will undoubtedly be deeply felt across Africa. As Lydia Muchiri of Practical Action - Eastern Africa relates, ‘the fact that I can now pick up the phone and call colleagues [across Africa] to discuss mainstreaming gender into energy is very gratifying to me’.