On 4 June 2017, at the 51st Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS, held in Monrovia, Liberia, the Heads of State of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) adopted the ECOWAS Policy for Gender Mainstreaming in Energy Access, through a Supplementary Act amending the ECOWAS Treaty. The Policy aims to address barriers to the equal participation of men and women in the expansion of energy access in West Africa. The ECOWAS Policy for Gender Mainstreaming in Energy Access establishes gender dimensions and their considerations in energy interventions as a means to achieve West Africa’s energy access goals.
The Republic of Ghana, through the Ministry of Energy, is developing this National Action Plan on Policy for Gender Mainstreaming in Energy Access. The National Action Plan aims to set out the 5-Year strategy by which the country will meet its national obligations, as specified in the Supplementary Act adopting the ECOWAS Policy.
The ECOWAS Policy for Gender Mainstreaming in Energy Access was drafted by the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) and the ECOWAS Department of Gender and Social Affairs. It was presented and adopted by the ECOWAS Energy Experts, the ECOWAS Energy Ministers, the ECOWAS Council of Ministers and, finally, by the ECOWAS Heads of State.
