Uganda Gender and Energy Alliance 2009-2010 Final Seed Funding Report

This project aimed to provide an opportunity for members of the Gender and Energy Alliance-Uganda to mainstream gender in three of the energy enterprises in Uganda. The energy enterprises include: one company dealing with ceramic stoves, another with small solar systems and the third working on charcoal briquettes. Despite the work done in business development, the members of the Gender and Energy Alliance realized the enterprises had not been able to build capacity for considering gender concerns as priority in their work.

More info..

The Uganda Gender and Energy Network

The Uganda Gender and Energy Network is coordinated by the East African Energy Technology Development Network-Uganda (EAETDN-U). This is a non-governmental organisation registered in Uganda. Having been established in November 1998, this networking organisation aims at increasing energy access for households and enterprise development through promoting energy for productive use as well as livelihood.

Gender is a major principle within EAETDN-U, motivated by recognition of the fact that there are differences and inequalities experienced by men and women in energy needs, use and priorities. There are also problems experiences by women and the poor in general due to lack of access to energy services and use of unclean, non efficient technologies. Several gender sensitive projects and mainstreaming interventions at policy and programme/project implementation have been undertaken by the network in collaboration with other partners including ENERGIA.

Network Goals

To promote appropriate sustainable & accessible energy solutions to low income earners through research and capacity building for energy & shelter development.

Activities

Some of the examples of projects undertaken by the Network include:

• DEEP-EA - a GVEP project (ongoing)
  The Developing Energy Enterprises Project (DEEP) is a project of the Global Village Energy Partnership (GVEP) and works on enhancement of business skills of energy enterprise in ways that can improve effectiveness of delivery of energy services. This 5-year DEEP project was started in June 2008. EAETDN-U is one of the  implementing partners in Uganda. ENERGIA support has been provided for mainstreaming gender in 3 energy enterprises: ceramic cook stoves, small solar systems for households, and briquettes production and marketing.
• Mainstreaming gender in solar financing models – EAP/RERE Project (November 2007- July 2008)
  The Energy-Network members participated in identifying intervention points for gender mainstreaming actions. The project aimed at ensuring that at least 10,000 households access modern electricity services through promotion of solar PV through targeted market interventions. Gender focused interventions were undertaken within financial institutions including financial delivery mechanisms (considering different financing models), solar PV service/technical provision and end-users/households. Documentation and dissemination of experiences and lessons on entry points for mainstreaming gender in rural market led energy access projects was undertaken in ways that guided implementation.
• Gender and Energy training for Policy Makers and Project Implementers (May 2006)
  This gender and energy training for energy policy makers and project implementers was part of a process towards building capacity for mainstreaming gender in energy planning. This was done to improve effectiveness in planning, management and in energy policy formulation, implementation and monitoring.
• Mainstreaming gender in Solar drying of fruits project in Kayunga district (2002 - 2004)
  Working with the post-harvest programme at Kawanda research station to train farmer groups, processors in constructing hybrid solar driers for drying of pineapples. The differences in roles for women and men were considered. The project enabled processors to improve on standards of their pineapple dried product in ways that enabled them to sell at export level and gain income which they did not have before these interventions. The project was funded by DFID and Ashden Trust.