Draft 3

GENDER and ENERGYPromising Practices in

South Asia

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The views expressed in this paper are the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), or its Board of

Governors, or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this paper and accepts no responsibility for any consequence

of their use. The countries listed in this paper do not imply any view on ADB's part as to sovereignty or independent status or necessarily conform to ADB's terminology.

(a) ADB’s Energy for All Framework

The ADB’s Energy for All initiative (2007)

acknowledges that access to energy, and the

forms of energy used, have gender-

differentiated impacts and that modern

energy services (≠ traditional sources) can

potentially affect gender imbalances to improve

women’s position in poor communities.

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(A) PRO-POOR DESIGN FEATURES

• Bhutan: JFPR Rural Electricians Training

Program (2006);

• India: Assam Power Sector Development

Program (2003);

• Sri Lanka – JFPR: Power for the Poor

(2004).

(B) SOCIAL IMPACTS

• Reduced cost of living;

• Reduced workload and timesaving;

• Improved (health) safety, security and

mobility;

• Improved maternal health services;

• Improved learning conditions at school;

• Reduced exposure to indoor air pollution

• More secure livelihoods and income.

(b) SARD Portfolio in the energy sector:

Where we started

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Given that women are the majority of the poor andprimary ‘managers’ of household energy, we MUST go‘beyond the meter’ to maximize pro-poor and social-related impacts and effectiveness of investments andproject results.► Special interventions are necessary to address genderimbalances and promote women’s empowerment.

(c) Toward greater integration of ‘gender’ in

SARD Energy Portfolio

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(c) Toward greater integration of ‘gender’ in

SARD Energy Portfolio

Social and Gender benefits in

women’s access to

affordable clean energy services

Enhance the quality of the project-specific

social/gender analysis

(OM C2/C3)

Enhance visibility of gender-related

design features

through the identification of entry point

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(d) Key entry points Increasing accessibility to clean (i.e. non coal) and/or renewable energy (solar, wind, hydro) for

poor communities (esp. in the rural area)

Support to the Community Rural Electrification Program in Nepal, by strengthening community management of rural electrification systems through increased women’s participation]

Improving affordability through the design of appropriate financial instruments to improve households’ connectivity

National energy policy and legal/regulatory frameworks [i.e. special subsidies and/or free connections, such as India’s national rural electrification program RGGY which provides free connections for those living below the poverty line]

Conflict- and/or disaster-affected contexts

Post Tsunami Utility Connections for the Poor in Sri Lanka, provided grant-financed connections, while the Power Fund for the Poor set up a low-interest rate revolving fund.

Increasing employment opportunities for women in the energy sector [i.e. Bhutan Power Corporation (BPC) through Village Technician Training Program]

Exploring support for energy-based (alternative) livelihood opportunities;

Gender-sensitive users’ education

For safe use, energy conservation and efficiency, with women motivators, and targeting both women and men consumers.

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(e) BHU: Rural Electricians Training Program

or Solar Warriors Although the main loan – Rural Electrification

and Network Expansion (RENE) -- did not significantly incorporate gender design features, it was expanded by the JFPR grant – Rural Electricians Training Program -- to facilitate greater community involvement.

The grant component for solar power provided a training package and the selection criteria favored training poor, semi-literate women, for the installation of PV solar home systems in remote communities.

An innovative training methodology was piloted: a unique approach developed by the Barefoot College in Rajasthan, India, training poor, semi-literate women to be rural electricians.

35 trainees were selected, through participatory consultation, for 6 months practical training in India.

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Key Results Within 3 months after returning

home from training, solar panels were installed on the rooftops of 504 households in 46 villages, covering 13 districts.

BSE women are empowered and are regarded with pride by the villagers.

Other direct benefits included: clean electricity has replaced

kerosene and the burning of wood resin for light;

health has improved thanks to lighting (such as in the operations of a local clinic);

improved education – children can study better with light than with kerosene lamps;

the work day is extended beyond nightfall, allowing villagers to engage in other income generating activities such as craft making,

household security improved.

Skills transfer can be accomplished amongst poor women with low-educational levels:

renewable energy systems and emerging technologies can provide new opportunities to increase poor women’s participation, including as service providers.

Systems must be put in place to sustain women’s participation in the energy sector:

livelihood support either through entrepreneurship activities and/or employment by energy utilities/service providers,

community support through social preparation/education.

provision of ongoing technical support, including refresher training courses,

Key Lessons

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(f) Building on Lessons Learned

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# of loan/grant

Title Sub-sector Dates (approval)

BANGLADESH

37113-01 Energy Efficiency Improvement Project [proposed: Effective Gender Mainstreaming (EGM)]

Energy Efficiency

2011

BHUTAN

42252-01 Rural Renewable Energy Development Project [Effective Gender Mainstreaming (EGM)]

Renewable Energy

2010

with JFPR-grant financed component

INDIA

44431 Gujarat Solar Power Transmission Project [proposed: Some Gender Benefits (SGB)]

Renewable Energy

2011

NEPAL

41155-01 Energy Access and Efficiency Improvement Project II [Effective Gender Mainstreaming (EGM)]

Energy Efficiency

2011

with JFPR-grant financed component

SRI LANKA

39415-01 Sustainable Power Sector Support II Project [Effective Gender Mainstreaming (EGM)]

Power Transmission

2011

with JFPR-grant financed component

(e) BHU: Rural Renewable Energy Development Project:

sustainability features

The impact of the project is to contribute to sustainable and inclusive

economic growth through widening access to reliable and affordable clean

energy services.

Women will be incorporated into the Bhutan Power Corporations

Village Technicians Training program (on-grid and off-grid);

The trained women will be a part of a local crew serviced by the district

offices of the BPC;

The women are expected to receive an allowance of USD128/month;

Additional livelihood enhancement skills training activities will be

conducted in the target areas.

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BHU Rural Renewable Energy Project

Gender Action Plan

Outputs Activities & Targets Timeline[1] Responsibility

1. Gender review of energy sector programs and

policies

A report summarizing and showcasing gaps, opportunities, best

practices and lessons learnt.

Months 1–4 Consultant

International NGO

On-grid Rural Electrification (RE)

2. Women village technicians trained in grid

system maintenance

30 day training of 120 women village technicians –target: 40%

women- under the Village Technicians Training Program of the

Bhutan Power Corporations (BPC).

Months 6–9 BPC/DOE

Off-grid Rural Electrification

3(a) Women village technicians trained in off-grid

solar home systems O&M

60 day training of 120 Village Technicians – target 40% women – will

be trained under the Bhutan Power Corporations (BPC) Village

Technicians Training Program[2].

Months 6–15 BPC/DOE

3(b) User education program for safety and

maintenance awareness, particularly for

women

Audio-visual, user-education program, and user education manual

(Dzongkha and English) distributed to 4,500 solar home system

users in ensuring sustainable maintenance of solar systems at the

house level.

Months 6-30 - DOE

- Local NGO

Energy-based livelihood enhancement training

4 Women’s livelihoods enhanced through skills

training

Skills training of 200 women from four Dzongkha’s (50 per

Dzongkha) will be conducted for women-led micro-enterprises at

project sites[3]

Months 6-30 Local NGO

Monitoring and Evaluation[

5(a) Gender mainstreamed PPMS system A gender mainstreamed PPMS template* will be developed for the

project to monitor progress towards gender equality outcomes,

targets and indicators (bi-yearly reporting).

Months 1-5

monthly

monitoring field

tripsInternational NGO

5(b) Pre / post implementation impact based

surveys and monitoring

Baseline data will be generated to enable impact-oriented surveys

and monitoring of: (i) reduction in women’s time burden spent on

household chores; (ii) increase in women’s employment; and (iii)

improved women’s health.

Month 1-36

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Outcome

Expanded coverage and mix of clean energy

supply in a sustainable manner

• Deployment of over 120 rural village technicians

including female with 40% by 2015

Outputs

1. On-grid rural electrification sourced from

hydropower, and its related skill training and livelihood

improvement activities

• Provision of reliable power supply sourced from

hydropower through grid extension to 5,075 households

by 2015 [target: 30% poor households headed by

women]

2. Off-grid rural electrification sourced from solar

power, and its related skill training and livelihood

improvement activities

• Installation of solar home lighting systems for 1,896

new households, by 2014 [target: 30% poor households

headed by women]

• Rehabilitation of 2,500 existing solar home systems by

2014

• Training of 120 village technicians including female with

40% for operation and maintenance for (i) on-grid and (ii)

off grid rural electrification by 20132

• Livelihood improvement programs targeting 200 women

in the project area by 20142

• Distribution of 4,500 use manuals for safety and

operation awareness of solar home systems2

3. Domestic biogas plants • Construction of 1,600 domestic biogas plants on a pilot

basis by 2014 [40% target of women participation in

training, construction, O&M of domestic biogas plants

BHU Rural Renewable Energy Project

Design and Monitoring Framework

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(f) Emerging Framework and Lessons Learned

Opportunistic approach, i.e. identified specific loans where concrete opportunities exist Team Leaders willingness to engage was an important consideration, hence projects

across several sub-sectors -- renewable energy, energy efficiency and power transmission.

However, there are common features and contexts where opportunities exist -- clean and renewable energy; Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Nepal loans targeted poor rural beneficiaries to improve national coverage.

And emerging practice shows that rural electrification and renewable energy systems (especially smaller community-managed systems) offer greater opportunities than, for example, in (high voltage) transmission or large scale power generation.

Even in the ‘harder’ sub-sectors, opportunities for some gender benefits exist Women’s employment during project construction, Gender-equity in core labour standards, Gender-based risk mitigation, Corporate social responsibility.

Developing partnerships with EA/IA Engaging EA/IA to build in stakeholders ownership from the start

JFPR an important even necessary instrument to ‘open up’ these opportunities To pilot test innovative approaches, for building up experience and learning

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