PREPARATION OF A NATIONAL ACTION PLAN TO IMPLEMENT THE ECOWAS GENDER POLICY ON ENERGY ACCESS

On the 2^nd and 3^rd of July 2019, and with the support of the Spanish Cooperation AECID, ENERGIA, and the legal firm Sullivan & Cromwell, ECREEE held the inception workshop for a new project to support ECOWAS Member States in the preparation of the National Action Plans to comply with the ECOWAS Policy on Gender Mainstreaming for Energy Access.

The workshop took place in Dakar and there were close to 40 participants from the Gender Focal Unit (GFU) of each ECOWAS Member State and the ECOWAS Gender Development Centre. Among the participants, were also the consultants appointed by ECREEE to support Member States in their preparation of NAP, and representatives from ECREEE, ENERGIA, Sullivan & Cromwell and Sustainable Energy Solutions.

During the meeting, we discussed the latest evidence on the links between gender and energy, as well and the latest policy developments in the ECOWAS region. GFU and consultants started working on the preparation of their NAP using participatory exercises. Legal experts from Sullivan & Cromwell explained participants the key steps to get ready for the implementation of the ECOWAS Directive on Gender Assessments in Energy Projects. A homogenous approach was discussed for the preparation of NAP that deliver comparable results across Member States and can be monitored and reported by ECREEE.  

After the workshop, GFU and consultants will get in touch with the relevant stakeholders in their member states and continue the preparation of NAP, whose final version is expected in December.