OPENING DOORS MAPPING THE LANDSCAPE FOR SUSTAINABLE ENERGY, GENDER DIVERSITY & SOCIAL INCLUSION

The report identifies a diverse but fragmented ecosystem of 174 initiatives aiming to integrate gender diversity and social inclusion into the sustainable energy transition. While significant activity exists—particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia—the sector is hindered by a lack of multi-year funding, limited technical capacity among women, and restrictive social norms. The document argues that empowering women is a catalyst for energy access, noting that women influence 80% of household energy purchasing decisions, and calls for a shift toward rights-based approaches and strategic cross-sector partnerships to achieve universal energy access by 2030.

• Women exert significant influence over household energy choices, making or influencing 80% of purchasing decisions and controlling 20 billion in total spending.
• The mapping of 174 organisations reveals a heavy geographic concentration of activities in sub-Saharan Africa (35% or 34% depending on section) and South Asia (18%).
• Regional priorities differ based on economic status: initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and East Asia/Pacific focus on energy poverty and 'last mile' customers, while those in Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, and Central Asia prioritise accelerating the clean energy transition through efficiency and technology transfer.
• Funding for these initiatives is predominantly grant-based (66%) and provided by development institutions and governments (45%), with a notable lack of multi-year financial commitments.
• Three primary barriers impede progress: the lack of multi-year funding, limited capacity (specifically the shortage of women in technical roles), and inhibiting social and cultural norms regarding the subordination of women.
• The ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) led the adoption of the first regional gender equality policy for energy development in June 2017, committing 15 member states to gender parity in public energy sector jobs and decision-making roles.

APA

Sustainable Energy for All (2017). OPENING DOORS MAPPING THE LANDSCAPE FOR SUSTAINABLE ENERGY, GENDER DIVERSITY & SOCIAL INCLUSION. http://www.seforall.org/sites/default/files/Opening-Doors_FR.pdf

Chicago

Sustainable Energy for All. OPENING DOORS MAPPING THE LANDSCAPE FOR SUSTAINABLE ENERGY, GENDER DIVERSITY & SOCIAL INCLUSION. 2017. http://www.seforall.org/sites/default/files/Opening-Doors_FR.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Sustainable Energy for All |title=OPENING DOORS MAPPING THE LANDSCAPE FOR SUSTAINABLE ENERGY, GENDER DIVERSITY & SOCIAL INCLUSION |date=2017 |url=http://www.seforall.org/sites/default/files/Opening-Doors_FR.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sustainableenergyforall2017opening, author = {{Sustainable Energy for All}}, title = {{OPENING DOORS MAPPING THE LANDSCAPE FOR SUSTAINABLE ENERGY, GENDER DIVERSITY \& SOCIAL INCLUSION}}, institution = {Sustainable Energy for All}, year = {2017}, url = {http://www.seforall.org/sites/default/files/Opening-Doors_FR.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }