GENDER PROMOTION: THE ENERGY SECTOR VALIDATES ITS ACTION PLAN

The Secretary General of the Ministry of Energy, Mr. Jean-Paul YANOGO, presided, on Wednesday 05 February 2020 in Ouagadougou, the opening ceremony of the national workshop to validate the gender and energy action plan-Burkina Faso. The objective of this action plan is to ultimately achieve greater participation of women in the energy sector.

The development of the national action plan for the integration of gender in energy access (PAGEB) responds to the problem of the integration of women in the energy field. Indeed, according to Jean-Paul YANOGO, it is a question of removing the obstacles to the participation of "the other half of the sky" in the expansion of access to energy. Thus, in collaboration with the Center for Renewable Energies and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), several steps were necessary for the realization of PAGEB. These include the analysis of the database, the definition of national objectives and priorities and the development of stakeholder mapping.

The action plan deals with training issues, motivations of young girls and women to take an interest in the energy professions. Actions will also be taken to allow women to have access to energy. "Suggested Mr. Bourahima NABI, Director of Studies and Sectoral Statistics, also president of the gender unit of the Ministry of Energy.

About fifty participants from several structures made their amendments to the provisional PAGEB document. The latter was considered realistic and achievable, hence its validation at the end of the workshop.

As a reminder, the gender mainstreaming policy for energy access of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was adopted by the Heads of State on June 4, 2017. Its main objective is to guarantee gender equality in the energy sector.