Report Calls for Women to Lead Gambia’s Clean Energy Transition

African Development Bank Manager for Gender and Women's Empowerment Nathalie Gisabo Gahunga said the goal is to ensure women and girls participate equally with men throughout the energy transition.

The African Development Bank, in partnership with The Gambia's Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare and with financing from the Climate Investment Funds (CIF), has launched a new report calling for women to become equal partners in the country's renewable energy transition.

The report, Women as Key Partners: A Gender-Transformative Renewable Energy Strategy and Action Plan for The Gambia, outlines a roadmap to strengthen women's participation in the energy sector and close the gap between existing gender policies and their implementation. The action plan is scheduled to run from 2026 to 2030 and will be led by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare alongside the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy and other national and international partners.

Energy Poverty Continues to Affect Women the Most

The report highlights that women, especially those living in rural communities, continue to carry the greatest burden of energy poverty. Around 90% of households still depend on firewood and charcoal for cooking, while only 1.7% of the population has access to clean cooking fuels and technologies. Electricity access also remains uneven across the country, reaching about 85% of urban households but only 35% to 40% of rural communities. Despite these challenges, women remain significantly underrepresented in the sector, accounting for only around 1% of staff at the National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC). The findings are based on a nationwide study involving 279 respondents, two-thirds of whom were women, along with focus group discussions, interviews, and community radio consultations conducted across all seven regions of The Gambia.

Training, Finance and Policy Reform at the Centre of Action

The strategy focuses on five priority areas, including stronger policies and governance, expanded scholarships and vocational training, mentorship programmes, improved access to finance, greater community engagement, and stronger partnerships to support women working in renewable energy.

The report identifies limited access to finance, land, training opportunities, and markets, along with cultural barriers, mobility restrictions, and low participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, as major obstacles preventing women from entering the sector. At the same time, it highlights successful examples of women leading solar installation cooperatives and running businesses that produce clean cookstoves and biomass briquettes.

African Development Bank Manager for Gender and Women's Empowerment Nathalie Gisabo Gahunga said the goal is to ensure women and girls participate equally with men throughout the energy transition. She noted that achieving this requires better training, mentorship, gender-responsive policies, and technologies designed to meet women's everyday needs.

Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare Saikou JC Trawally described the report as an important milestone for The Gambia's sustainable energy future and encouraged government agencies, businesses, civil society, and development partners to work together on building an inclusive renewable energy framework. Foday Sanyang from the Ministry of Petroleum added that while renewable energy is essential for meeting growing electricity demand, energy policies must also recognise and respond to the different needs of women and men.