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Women as Key Partners: A Gender-Transformative Renewable Energy Strategy and Action Plan for The Gambia, was released earlier this month. The report sets out a blueprint for ensuring that women are recognised and empowered as equal partners in The Gambia's energy transition, and bridges the gap between progressive national frameworks and their implementation on the ground.
The findings show that energy poverty in The Gambia weighs heavily on women, particularly in rural areas. Approximately 90 percent of households still rely on biomass - firewood and charcoal- for cooking, while only 1.7 percent of the population has access to clean cooking fuels and technologies. Electricity access also remains uneven: around 85 percent in urban areas, compared to 35-40 percent in rural areas. Women remain largely absent from the sector that shapes these realities, holding only about one percent of staff positions at the National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC).
The study draws on a survey of 279 respondents (67 percent of whom were women), focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and community radio dialogues across all seven regions of the country.
The plan is built around five priority areas - strengthening policy and governance; expanding capacity building through scholarships, vocational training and mentorship for women in renewable energy; improving access to finance; deepening community engagement, and scaling partnerships, including aligning with regional best practices and revitalising institutions such as the Gambia Renewable Energy Centre (https://apo-opa.co/4wapFZo) as a hub for women's skills and innovation.
The report identifies the main barriers to women's participation in renewable energy: limited access to finance, training, land and markets, alongside cultural norms, mobility restrictions, and low representation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. It also documents women already leading change in the sector, from solar installation cooperatives to clean cookstove and briquette production enterprises.
The Plan is designed for implementation between 2026 and 2030, led by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare in collaboration with the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy and a range of national and international partners.
Nathalie Gisabo Gahunga, Manager of Gender and Women's Empowerment at the African Development Bank said: “Our goal is to see women and girls participating in the energy transition process at all levels in equal position as men. In The Gambia, we are seeing promising steps in renewable energy—but women’s participation is still limited.”
She added: “That means providing training, mentorship, and gender-responsive policies, while designing technologies, like clean cooking and solar tools, that truly serve women’s needs.”
Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Welfare, Saikou JC Trawally, in the Validation Workshop shared his views on the report. “This study is milestone in our country’s journey towards a sustainable and environmentally friendly energy future.” He further urged stakeholders, the government, private sector, civil society and development partners to actively engage in shaping a “robust renewable energy framework that is inclusive, practical, and responsive to the Gambia’s unique needs”
Foday Sanyang, from the Ministry of Petroleum, underscored government’s commitment to mainstreaming gender in all energy projects saying that renewable energy generation is an attractive option to meet growing demand, “but we must recognize the differentiated needs of men and women,” Sanyang said.
The full report is available in English (https://apo-opa.co/4vz4jot) and French (https://apo-opa.co/4v1evVF) on the African Development Bank's website.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
Media contact:
Raissa Girondin
Communication and External Relations Department
email: media@afdb.org
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