Situation Analysis of Energy and Gender Issues in ECOWAS Member States

The report examines the intersection of energy poverty and gender inequality in West Africa, highlighting how socially determined roles lead to differential access to and use of energy services. It identifies significant barriers for women in the energy workforce and entrepreneurship, including gaps in STEM education and limited access to land and finance. The document assesses the existing regional and national policy landscapes, noting a general lack of gender-disaggregated data and limited collaboration between energy and gender ministries. It argues for a gender-responsive approach to energy planning to maximize the impact of interventions and achieve universal energy access by 2030.

• Energy poverty in the ECOWAS region is characterized by a lack of modern energy for basic needs, with approximately half the population lacking electricity and three-quarters relying on traditional biomass for cooking.
• Gender norms in West Africa create distinct patterns of energy use; women are primarily responsible for domestic cooking and resource collection, which often leads to 'time poverty' and increased physical vulnerability.
• The energy sector in ECOWAS is heavily male-dominated, particularly in technical and leadership roles. In some ministries, such as in Guinée, only 2 of 33 senior executives are women.
• Women face significant barriers to entering the energy workforce, primarily due to a gender gap in STEM (science, engineering, technology, and mathematics) education and vocational training.
• Female entrepreneurs in the energy sector are often concentrated in low-capital, less profitable subsectors like cookstoves and briquettes, while men dominate solar PV and biogas.
• Access to land remains a critical barrier for women, as they often lack legal ownership or titles, which limits their ability to secure loans or establish business premises.
• Legal and customary laws in several ECOWAS states restrict women's autonomy; for example, in four countries, wives may need a husband's permission to open a bank account.
• There is a critical lack of gender-disaggregated statistical data at the national level, which hinders the ability of planners to understand and address unequal energy access.
• Collaboration between national ministries of energy and ministries of gender is generally poor, often occurring only when required by international development partners.
• The use of traditional biomass fuels causes a severe public health crisis, with an estimated 173,396 annual deaths in the region, disproportionately affecting children and women.
• Electrification can have positive gender-specific impacts, such as reducing fertility rates in rural areas and increasing female employment by reducing time spent on domestic chores.
• Women's participation in the energy supply chain is identified as 'smart economics' because it increases the adoption rate of clean energy technologies among female users.

APA

Sustainable Energy for All (2015). Situation Analysis of Energy and Gender Issues in ECOWAS Member States. https://www.seforall.org/sites/default/files/Situation-Analysis-of-Energy-and-Gender-Issues.pdf

Chicago

Sustainable Energy for All. Situation Analysis of Energy and Gender Issues in ECOWAS Member States. 2015. https://www.seforall.org/sites/default/files/Situation-Analysis-of-Energy-and-Gender-Issues.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Sustainable Energy for All |title=Situation Analysis of Energy and Gender Issues in ECOWAS Member States |date=2015 |url=https://www.seforall.org/sites/default/files/Situation-Analysis-of-Energy-and-Gender-Issues.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sustainableenergyforall2015situation, author = {{Sustainable Energy for All}}, title = {{Situation Analysis of Energy and Gender Issues in ECOWAS Member States}}, institution = {Sustainable Energy for All}, year = {2015}, url = {https://www.seforall.org/sites/default/files/Situation-Analysis-of-Energy-and-Gender-Issues.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }