ENERGIA’s Networking Strategy: Our Achievements and Best Practices

1. ENERGIA’s Networking Strategy: Our Achievements and Best Practices Nozipho Wright Regional Network Coordinator Energy Practitioners' Meeting, AMS, 13 Dec 2011

3. National network organisation Africa • 13 networks • Concentrated in east, west and southern Africa • 4 registered NGOs • Government and semi gov: Zambia, Botswana Asia • 9 networks • Government and semi gov: Pakistan, Laos and Vietnam • South and South East Asia

4. Strategy Vision Mindset is changed in member countries and energy policy makers and practitioners use gender systematically

5. Objectives of ENERGIA Networking Strategy • Increase awareness of energy sector professionals of the benefits of mainstreaming the gender approach • To influence energy policies and programmes • Increase access to information and knowledge resources on gender and energy • Support and encourage the professional development of women in the energy sector

6. Objective 1 and Outcomes • Increase awareness of energy sector professionals of the benefits of mainstreaming the gender approach • Gender awareness work with decentralised energy cooperatives in Bangladesh • Capacity building for members and energy professionals: Most member countries • Capacity building for high ranking officers and stakeholders in the energy sector: Nigeria, Nepal, Asia regional, Lesotho (Awareness for CEOs) • Gender training for staff of the 13 departments of CSIR: Ghana • Training of officials of rural electric cooperatives on G&E: Bangladesh • Work with energy entrepreneurs in Uganda • Linking government and NGO partners in Zimbabwe

7. Objective 1 and Outcomes cont… Increase awareness of energy sector professionals of the benefits of mainstreaming the gender approach • Training on gender audits and budgets for Alternative Energy and Rural Energy programmes: India, Nepal • Using case histories for training and workshops: Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania, Senegal, Philippines, Pakistan, Sri Lanka • Website, brochures, training materials, DVDs and a book: Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Zambia, Senegal , Tanzania, Swaziland, etc • Documenting gender and energy case studies: Nigeria, Swaziland, Zambia

8. Objective 2 and Outcomes Influencing Energy Policies • Gender audits of energy policy with involvement of MoE and national teams led by NFPs: Botswana, Kenya, Senegal, Ghana, Zambia, Nigeria, India, Philippines, Lesotho • Comments on policy documents: Pakistan, Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Nepal (Rural Energy Policy 2006 reviewed), South Africa • Engendering the Green India Mission, a national policy on climate change, and Planning Commission’s Integrated Energy Policy report: India • Research studies involving disaggregated gender data on small enterprises and households : Botswana, Tanzania • Working on local development plans and gearing up lessons with large partners in Senegal • Influencing regional and global policies and programmes: African Bio Energy Policy Framework, Rio +20, Bonn Nexus, Sustainable Energy for All

9. Objective 3 and Outcomes Increase access to information and knowledge resources on gender and energy • Radio and TV programmes on gender and energy broadcast to millions: Swaziland, Vietnam, Zambia, Tanzania • Exchange visits: Rural women visit other places and see energy technologies (cook stoves, solar, etc): Mali, Lesotho (Basotho women sent to Kenya to learn how to make ICS: ToT) Access to techs: • Fabrication of LPG stoves for use by women street food vendors, and establishment of a gas depot: Ghana

10. Objective 4 and Outcomes Support and encourage the professional development of women in the energy sector • Support to Masters level students (lectures, field research): Nepal • Short courses and Masters programmes dedicated producing to women and men gender and energy experts: University of Twente, • Masters: Gender Analysis in Economics (College of Economics), Post Grad Diploma in Gender and Local Economic Development (both funded by UNDP and UNCDF and UN Women): School of Women and Gender Studies, Makerere University, Uganda • Two students working on Masters Thesis on Gender and biogas: Makerere University • Recommendations from a gender audit on how to engage more women as professionals in the energy sector: Ghana

11. Method Used to Achieve Objs • Building own (NFP) and members’ capacity building – Regional & national training workshops • Establishing working relationship with departments of energy • Undertaking training for energy policy makers and practitioners • Using all-inclusive approach which attracted skilled members with various expertise

12. Best Practices from ENERGIA Network Strat. Activities • Networks have brought together several strong organisations with different agendas: research, lobbying, technology promotion, communications, poverty reduction • Gender audits have created long lasting relationship between MoE / DoEs and NFPs who are now formally invited to contribute to policy formulation and review. • Recommendations of gender audits have led to bigger gender and energy projects • Networks regarded in member countries as credible source of gender and energy information and expertise. • Seedfunding activities largely targeted at influencing national policies and changing mindset. • Networking and capacity building of members has created expertise and ability to lobby at international meetings. • Participation in climate change activities has opened up new opportunities for collaboration and funding

13. Constraints • Limited seedfunds reduces potential for larger activities • Not all members have adequate capacity to mainstream gender in national policies and progs: more training required • Not enough sharing between countries, regions • Time constraints: members already have full time work. • Lack of translation of most ENERGIA documents into French

14. Thank you!