Situation Analysis of Energy and Gender Issues in ECOWAS Member States

This 2015 report by Sustainable Energy for All, commissioned by the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), analyzes the intersection of energy access and gender inequality across the 15 ECOWAS Member States. It identifies systemic barriers that prevent women from participating equally in the energy sector and highlights how energy poverty disproportionately affects women and girls due to socially determined gender roles. The document serves as the foundational analysis for the development of the ECOWAS Policy for Gender Mainstreaming in Energy Access, aiming for universal energy access by 2030.

• Energy poverty in the ECOWAS region is characterized by a lack of modern energy for basic needs, which disproportionately affects women and girls. This vulnerability manifests as manual labor for ferrying water, fuel, and goods, as well as exposure to physical hazards like pollution and burns.
• The region faces a severe energy crisis with an average electricity access rate of approximately 50%, though this varies significantly between urban and rural areas. Per capita electricity consumption in the ECOWAS region was 88 kWh in 2005, drastically lower than the 13,246 kWh recorded in the U.S.
• Traditional biomass remains the primary cooking fuel for approximately 75% of the population (258 million people), leading to a public health crisis. Annual deaths attributable to solid fuel use are estimated at 173,396, with roughly half being children.
• Women are significantly underrepresented in the technical and decision-making levels of the energy sector. In many energy ministries, women are concentrated in administrative roles such as secretarial and accounting positions, while men hold most managerial and technical posts.
• Gender-based disparities in land ownership act as a barrier to energy entrepreneurship, as land is often required for premises or as collateral for loans. For example, in Niger (2005-2007), women owned only 7% of land compared to 93% for men.
• Legal and customary barriers continue to limit women's autonomy in several Member States. In four countries, wives may legally require a husband's permission to open a bank account, and in six countries, husbands can legally prevent wives from working outside the home.
• There is a significant gap in STEM (science, engineering, technology, and mathematics) education for women, which limits their entry into the formal energy sector. Women often face resistance when attempting to enter technical and vocational education and training (TVET) programs.
• Women's participation in the energy value chain is often clustered at the lower end, focusing on less capital-intensive and less profitable subsectors such as cookstoves and briquettes, while men dominate solar PV and biogas sectors.
• The report identifies a critical lack of gender-disaggregated statistical data at the national level, which hinders the ability of planners to understand and address the specific energy needs of women.
• While some Member States have established Gender Focal Points (GFPs) or Units (GFUs) within energy ministries, these are often underfunded and understaffed, sometimes existing only to satisfy the requirements of specific donor-funded projects.

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} }