Gender Mainstreaming in UAIMES-PR Programme Case Study Report, Tanzania

In 2008 TaTEDO embarked on implementation of the programme known as Up scaling Access to Integrated Modern Energy Services for Poverty Reduction (UAIMES-PR). This programme aimed to contribute to improved livelihood, poverty reduction and sustainable rural development through improved access to modern energy in rural communities of Tanzania. The ultimate goal was to improve living conditions, boost economic activities and provide better social services in rural areas through introducing Multifunctional Platforms and Productive Use Containers for rural electrification and entrepreneurship development. The UAIMES-PR programme is European Union and Hivos of the Netherlands funded programme.

Among the focus of the UAIMES-PR programme was to involve all target groups and beneficiaries in the implementation process with a focus on women. In order to promote this objective TaTEDO to responded to the ENERGIA call for proposal on gender mainstreaming which was advertised in 2007. The main objective of the gender mainstreaming project was to ensure that implementation of the UAIMES-PR programme is gender sensitive and outcomes are equity oriented for proportionate benefits to men and women.

The primary output of this project was a gender action plan (GAP) for the UAIMES-PR programme with the objective to “promote gender equality and women’s empowerment through strengthening women’s participation in up scaling access to modern energy services in rural communities in Tanzania”. Implementation of the GAP is expected to take place during the period of 2012-2014 following an extension of the UAIMES-PR programme.

In conclusion: the step by step preparing of the GAP gives a systematic and logical way of mainstreaming gender in the energy projects. In the case of the UAIMES-PR implementing team, this process has built their confidence on gender mainstreaming. The knowledge will also be applied to other projects. It should be noted however that the involved processes are long and require commitment of the whole institution as some of the processes may interfere with other priorities of the organization. This is also the case in the implementation of the GAP as may require extra resources (financial and human) which were either overlooked or not considered during designing of the project.

Gender in Energy projects Draft Tanzania case study report 2010 - Download