GENDER and ENERGY

Promising Practices in
South Asia Draft 3

The views expressed in this paper are the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), or its Board of
Governors, or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this paper and accepts no responsibility for any consequence
of their use. The countries listed in this paper do not imply any view on ADB's part as to sovereignty or independent status or necessarily conform to ADB's terminology.

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 (a) ADB’s Energy for All Framework

The ADB’s Energy for All initiative (2007)

acknowledges that access to energy, and the
forms of energy used, have gender-
differentiated impacts and that modern
energy services (≠ traditional sources) can
potentially affect gender imbalances to improve
women’s position in poor communities.

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 (b) SARD Portfolio in the energy sector:
Where we started

(A) PRO-POOR DESIGN FEATURES

• Bhutan: JFPR Rural Electricians Training
Program (2006);
• India: Assam Power Sector Development
Program (2003);
• Sri Lanka – JFPR: Power for the Poor
(2004).

(B) SOCIAL IMPACTS

• Reduced cost of living;
• Reduced workload and timesaving;
• Improved (health) safety, security and
mobility;
• Improved maternal health services;
• Improved learning conditions at school;
• Reduced exposure to indoor air pollution
• More secure livelihoods and income.

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 (c) Toward greater integration of ‘gender’ in
SARD Energy Portfolio

Given that women are the majority of the poor and

primary ‘managers’ of household energy, we MUST go
‘beyond the meter’ to maximize pro-poor and social-
related impacts and effectiveness of investments and
project results.
► Special interventions are necessary to address gender
imbalances and promote women’s empowerment.

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 (c) Toward greater integration of ‘gender’ in
SARD Energy Portfolio

Social and Gender benefits in

women’s access to
affordable clean energy services

Enhance visibility of gender-related

design features
through the identification of entry point

Enhance the quality of the project-specific

social/gender analysis
(OM C2/C3)

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 (d) Key entry points
 Increasing accessibility to clean (i.e. non coal) and/or renewable energy (solar, wind, hydro) for
poor communities (esp. in the rural area)
 Support to the Community Rural Electrification Program in Nepal, by strengthening
community management of rural electrification systems through increased women’s
participation]
 Improving affordability through the design of appropriate financial instruments to improve
households’ connectivity
 National energy policy and legal/regulatory frameworks [i.e. special subsidies and/or free
connections, such as India’s national rural electrification program RGGY which provides
free connections for those living below the poverty line]
 Conflict- and/or disaster-affected contexts
 Post Tsunami Utility Connections for the Poor in Sri Lanka, provided grant-financed
connections, while the Power Fund for the Poor set up a low-interest rate revolving fund.
 Increasing employment opportunities for women in the energy sector [i.e. Bhutan Power
Corporation (BPC) through Village Technician Training Program]
 Exploring support for energy-based (alternative) livelihood opportunities;
 Gender-sensitive users’ education
 For safe use, energy conservation and efficiency, with women motivators, and targeting both
women and men consumers.

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 (e) BHU: Rural Electricians Training Program
or Solar Warriors
 Although the main loan – Rural Electrification
and Network Expansion (RENE) -- did not
significantly incorporate gender design features, it
was expanded by the JFPR grant – Rural
Electricians Training Program -- to facilitate
greater community involvement.

 The grant component for solar power provided a

training package and the selection criteria favored
training poor, semi-literate women, for the
installation of PV solar home systems in remote
communities.

 An innovative training methodology was piloted:

a unique approach developed by the Barefoot
College in Rajasthan, India, training poor, semi-
literate women to be rural electricians.

 35 trainees were selected, through participatory

consultation, for 6 months practical training in
India.

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 Key Results
 Within 3 months after returning
home from training, solar panels
were installed on the rooftops of
504 households in 46 villages,
covering 13 districts.
 BSE women are empowered and
are regarded with pride by the
villagers.
 Other direct benefits included:
 clean electricity has replaced
kerosene and the burning of
wood resin for light;
 health has improved thanks to
lighting (such as in the
operations of a local clinic);
 improved education – children
can study better with light than
with kerosene lamps;
 the work day is extended
beyond nightfall, allowing
villagers to engage in other
income generating activities
such as craft making,
 household security improved.
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Key Lessons
 Skills transfer can be
accomplished amongst poor
women with low-educational
levels:
 renewable energy systems and
emerging technologies can
provide new opportunities to
increase poor women’s
participation, including as
service providers.
 Systems must be put in place to
sustain women’s participation in
the energy sector:
 livelihood support either
through entrepreneurship
activities and/or employment
by energy utilities/service
providers,
 community support through
social preparation/education.
 provision of ongoing technical
support, including refresher
training courses,
 (f) Building on Lessons Learned

# of Title Sub-sector Dates (approval)

loan/grant
BANGLADESH
37113-01 Energy Efficiency Improvement Project Energy 2011
[proposed: Effective Gender Mainstreaming Efficiency
(EGM)]
BHUTAN
42252-01 Rural Renewable Energy Development Project Renewable 2010
[Effective Gender Mainstreaming (EGM)] Energy
with JFPR-grant financed component
INDIA
44431 Gujarat Solar Power Transmission Project Renewable 2011
[proposed: Some Gender Benefits (SGB)] Energy
NEPAL
41155-01 Energy Access and Efficiency Improvement Energy 2011
Project II [Effective Gender Mainstreaming Efficiency
(EGM)]
with JFPR-grant financed component
SRI LANKA
39415-01 Sustainable Power Sector Support II Project Power 2011
[Effective Gender Mainstreaming (EGM)] Transmission
with JFPR-grant financed component

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 (e) BHU: Rural Renewable Energy Development Project:
sustainability features

The impact of the project is to contribute to sustainable and inclusive

economic growth through widening access to reliable and affordable clean
energy services.

 Women will be incorporated into the Bhutan Power Corporations

Village Technicians Training program (on-grid and off-grid);
 The trained women will be a part of a local crew serviced by the district
offices of the BPC;
 The women are expected to receive an allowance of USD128/month;
 Additional livelihood enhancement skills training activities will be
conducted in the target areas.

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 BHU Rural Renewable Energy Project
Gender Action Plan
Outputs Activities & Targets Timeline[1] Responsibility

1. Gender review of energy sector programs and A report summarizing and showcasing gaps, opportunities, best Months 1–4 Consultant
policies practices and lessons learnt. International NGO

On-grid Rural Electrification (RE)

2. Women village technicians trained in grid 30 day training of 120 women village technicians –target: 40% Months 6–9 BPC/DOE
system maintenance women- under the Village Technicians Training Program of the
Bhutan Power Corporations (BPC).

Off-grid Rural Electrification

3(a) Women village technicians trained in off-grid 60 day training of 120 Village Technicians – target 40% women – will Months 6–15 BPC/DOE
solar home systems O&M be trained under the Bhutan Power Corporations (BPC) Village
Technicians Training Program[2].

3(b) User education program for safety and Audio-visual, user-education program, and user education manual Months 6-30 - DOE
maintenance awareness, particularly for (Dzongkha and English) distributed to 4,500 solar home system - Local NGO
women users in ensuring sustainable maintenance of solar systems at the
house level.

Energy-based livelihood enhancement training

4 Women’s livelihoods enhanced through skills Skills training of 200 women from four Dzongkha’s (50 per Months 6-30 Local NGO
training Dzongkha) will be conducted for women-led micro-enterprises at
project sites[3]

Monitoring and Evaluation[

5(a) Gender mainstreamed PPMS system A gender mainstreamed PPMS template* will be developed for the Months 1-5
project to monitor progress towards gender equality outcomes, monthly
targets and indicators (bi-yearly reporting). monitoring field
trips
International NGO
5(b) Pre / post implementation impact based Baseline data will be generated to enable impact-oriented surveys Month 1-36
surveys and monitoring and monitoring of: (i) reduction in women’s time burden spent on
household chores; (ii) increase in women’s employment; and (iii)
improved women’s health.

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Outcome
Expanded coverage and mix of clean energy
supply in a sustainable manner
Outputs
1. On-grid rural electrification sourced from
hydropower, and its related skill training and livelihood
improvement activities
2. Off-grid rural electrification sourced from solar
power, and its related skill training and livelihood
improvement activities
3. Domestic biogas plants
BHU Rural Renewable Energy Project
Design and Monitoring Framework
• Deployment of over 120 rural village technicians
including female with 40% by 2015
• Provision of reliable power supply sourced from
hydropower through grid extension to 5,075 households
by 2015 [target: 30% poor households headed by
women]
• Installation of solar home lighting systems for 1,896
new households, by 2014 [target: 30% poor households
headed by women]
• Rehabilitation of 2,500 existing solar home systems by
2014
• Training of 120 village technicians including female with
40% for operation and maintenance for (i) on-grid and (ii)
off grid rural electrification by 20132
• Livelihood improvement programs targeting 200 women
in the project area by 20142
• Distribution of 4,500 use manuals for safety and
operation awareness of solar home systems2
• Construction of 1,600 domestic biogas plants on a pilot
basis by 2014 [40% target of women participation in
training, construction, O&M of domestic biogas plants

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 (f) Emerging Framework and Lessons Learned

 Opportunistic approach, i.e. identified specific loans where concrete opportunities exist
 Team Leaders willingness to engage was an important consideration, hence projects
across several sub-sectors -- renewable energy, energy efficiency and power
transmission.
 However, there are common features and contexts where opportunities exist -- clean
and renewable energy; Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Nepal loans targeted poor rural beneficiaries
to improve national coverage.
 And emerging practice shows that rural electrification and renewable energy systems
(especially smaller community-managed systems) offer greater opportunities than, for
example, in (high voltage) transmission or large scale power generation.

 Even in the ‘harder’ sub-sectors, opportunities for some gender benefits exist
 Women’s employment during project construction,
 Gender-equity in core labour standards,
 Gender-based risk mitigation,
 Corporate social responsibility.

 Developing partnerships with EA/IA

 Engaging EA/IA to build in stakeholders ownership from the start

 JFPR an important even necessary instrument to ‘open up’ these opportunities

 To pilot test innovative approaches, for building up experience and learning

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