ECREEE Acting Executive Director describes ECOWAS program on Gender Mainstreaming as a Milestone Project

ECREEE - Praia, - 28^th April 2021- The Acting Executive Director of the ECOWAS Centre of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency ECREEE, Mr. Bah F M Saho, has described the ECOWAS program on Gender Mainstreaming in energy access (ECOW-GEN) as a milestone designed to meet the sustainable Energy for All in West Africa.  The ECREEE Acting Executive Director was speaking during a question and answer session of the Africa-EU Energy Partnership virtual meeting held under the aegis of the African Union and the European Union. 

The theme of the meeting was Empowered Actors of Change: A Successful African-European Energy Transition Depends on Women.  Mr. Saho explained that energy access or lack of it affects men and women differently and that energy needs of both men and women sometimes differ. He informed the meeting that   ECOW-GEN aims to factor in these differing needs in the planning and execution of clean-energy related interventions in the region to ensure a universal access to energy services.

Mr. Saho said that under the ECO-GEN program, ECREEE has built and strengthened capacities for gender mainstreaming in energy policies and projects in ECOWAS member states as well as steering and supporting the development of gender-sensitive policies within the region. Mr. Saho also told energy experts that ECREEE is promoting knowledge management, awareness creation and advocacy on gender and energy issues as well as implementing gender-responsive investment and business promotion in sustainable energy development in the ECOWAS region.

In addition to strengthening the gender program, Mr. Saho informed the meeting that the West Africa Clean Cooking Alliance (WACCA) was initiated by ECREEE and implemented to promote and provideaccess to clean, efficient, safe and affordable cooking energy solutions to our women in the ECOWAS region.  This, he said,promotes the use of very efficient stoves and alternative fuels such as bioethanol, biogas, briquettes and LPG (liquefied Petroleum Gas) for cooking and heating.