The Powering Gender Equality Project is a transformative initiative designed to address gender disparities in the energy sector by empowering women and promoting gender equality within clean energy systems. The project aims to strengthen gender-responsive energy governance, enhance policy frameworks that accelerate gender equality, and promote women’s economic empowerment. Launched as part of UNDP’s Gender Equality Strategy 2022-2025, the project aligns with the organisation’s broader mission to challenge and reshape the social, economic, political, and environmental systems perpetuating gender inequality. The Powering Gender Equality project is possible thanks to the support of the Governments of Luxembourg and the Republic of Korea through the UNDP Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Funding Window. 

Objectives  
•    Building women entrepreneurs’ capacity by developing their business and technical skills, enabling them to enter the renewable energy market.

•    Supporting the government in enhancing gender-responsive governance in the energy sector by increasing women’s participation and leadership in decision-making processes.

•    Creating and implementing policy frameworks accelerating gender equality in the energy sector. 

Implementation 

From 2023 to 2024, the Powering Gender Equality Project was implemented in four African countries: Ethiopia, Eswatini, Malawi, and Madagascar. 
In Eswatini, the project has supported 50 rural women with basic literacy across the four regions, including Hhohho, Manzini, Shiselweni, and Lubombo, to gain skills in clean technologies. UNDP implemented the project with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy.

Like much of sub-Saharan Africa, Eswatini faces significant energy access challenges, with women and girls disproportionately affected by energy poverty. The project recognises energy access as a critical enabler of health, education, and economic prosperity development, directly impacting women and girls’ well-being.

In this storybook, we share the experiences of some of the project’s participants in Eswatini and discuss how this initiative impacted their lives. We also include interviews with our resident representative and implementing partners.