Ghana National Gender and Energy Training

The GRATIS Foundation in collaboration with the Gender and Energy Network of Ghana- GEDA, GHANA collaborated with the Ministry of Energy, on mainstreaming gender concerns into energy projects in Ghana through the organization of a capacity building workshop. The workshop was held for senior management staff of the Ministry and its sector agencies both private and governmental.  Project officers who are currently working on energy projects planning and implementation attended the workshop. 

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Gender Assessment of the Ghana Energy Sector

In 2010 ENERGIA supported a gender audit of the Ghana ministry of energy in cooperation with GRATIS and the Ghana Gender and Energy Network. The gender audit sought to assist the Ghana Ministry of Energy and other agencies in the energy sector to address concerns regarding how low emphasis on implementing policies on renewable energy and energy efficiency in Ghana negatively affect the majority of Ghanaian women.

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Strengthening Gender and Energy Networking in Ghana

ENERGIA supported GRATIS of Ghana with the strengthening of the Gender and Energy Network in Ghana. The duration of this seed funding project was January 2010 until January 2011. The main activities carried out under this project were: an awareness creation workshop for management and staff of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR); a annual networking meeting; and stove dissemination for female entrepreneurs.  

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Network Goals

• To build greater awareness among governments and international community about the importance of gender issues in energy planning and policies.
• To have that awareness reflected in new, concrete commitment and action by governments and other development actors to mainstream gender considerations into energy decision making.
• To train and organize women to become energy technicians as well as operate and maintain equipment.
• Use developed technologies to create sustainable rural industries.
• Outreach and policy advocacy, awareness creation, training and networking.
• Inception of pilot demonstration units to develop marketable and appropriate energy efficient technologies to be gender sensitive.

Activities

• Gender audit of Ministry of Energy, Ghana
• The Gender and Energy Network in Ghana is actively working on the creation of a young membership base. GRATIS Foundation and Women in Technical Education (WITED) of the Ghana Education Service have organised a 3-day workshop to sensitise WITED coordinators and 20 junior high school students about gender, energy and technical education. The students are offered a program of mentorship in which the members of the network are actively involved as mentors.
• The network collaborated with the GRATIS Foundation and the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment to provide improved cookstoves to female entrepreneurs in rural communities. The GRATIS Foundation constructed and disseminated improved cookstoves as a test pilot. Female entrepreneurs and a women's group were senstised and 4 energy efficient and user-friendly stoves were disseminated in this pilot stage. Regular visits were paid to the beneficiaries in collaboration with the MLGRDE to ensure the women are using the stoves as desired. The women were also trained in minor maintenance of the stoves. This project linked well with the MLGRDE's program that educates rural women on reduction of fuelwood utilisation. This intervention has ensured that cooking fuel is available within 1 kilometer of the beneficiaries' villages. Awareness has also been created on climate change issues.
• National network meetings have been held to strengthen the network, plan activities and strengthen the organogram.