The absence of gender-responsive indicators within SDG 7 has created a structural barrier to understanding and addressing women’s energy use and needs. As a result, progress for women and girls as part of this SDG cannot be adequately tracked, measured, or achieved. A feminist framework for energy justice must move beyond access alone and address…

Sustainable Development Goal 7 — ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all — stands out as one of the brightest areas of progress across the 2030 Agenda. Over the last decade, more people have gained access to electricity than ever before, and the clean energy transition has gained irreversible momentum. Yet,…

Despite substantial progress since 2015—including significant increases in the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix and improvements in the global rate of energy efficiency—the achievement of the 2030 target of universal access to affordable, reliable, and modern energy services remains off track and uneven, particularly with respect to the huge remaining energy…

This is the project completion report of TA 6526 NEP and presents the key activities and results of the project, in relation to the scope of work and objectives set out in the Terms of Reference (ToR) and the contract. The activities and results relate to two main outputs: Output 1: Strengthened capacity of NEA…

Between 2021 and 2025, the ADB TA 6526 NEP project demonstrated that electrification becomes transformative when it purposefully  integrates Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) principles and approaches. The project reached electricity to 1,300 previously unelectrified households, supported 403 entrepreneurs (primarily women and disadvantaged groups) to create new business opportunities and strengthen existing business ventures…

Les femmes jouent un rôle central et multiforme sur le marché des biodigesteurs domestiques en  Afrique subsaharienne. Elles sont les principales utilisatrices et décideuses, et de plus en plus entrepreneuses et leaders dans les chaînes de valeur des biodig esteurs et des engrais d’effluents . Leur participation au marché des biodigesteurs est essentielle à l’adoption…

Women play a pivotal, multifaceted role in the market for household biodigesters in Sub-Saharan Africa, acting as primary users and decision-makers, and increasingly as entrepreneurs and leaders in the biodigester and bioslurry fertiliser value chains. Their participation in the biodigester market is critical for the adoption and sustained use of the technology, and to long-term…

This Impact Assessment evaluates the economic empowerment of women entrepreneurs in the clean energy sector as a result of ENERGIA’s support, delivered via its partner organizations. The assessment focuses on determining how ENERGIA’s Phase 7 program has contributed to changes in the lives of women entrepreneurs, specifically in relation to decision-making, resilience, and business development.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, women play a central role in managing household food, energy and water, often cultivating smaller and more degraded plots with limited access to inputs such as fertilizer, finance and markets. Rising fertilizer prices and declining soil quality further constrain their productivity and incomes. Locally produced organic fertilizers like bioslurry and bioslurry-enriched compost…

This policy brief examines the shortcomings of the current SDG 7 indicators on affordable and clean energy and  proposes forward-looking approaches to strengthen them in the post-2030 agenda. Although energy is central to  sustainable development, existing indicators lack demographic disaggregation, rely heavily on input-level metrics such  as financial flows, and fail to capture interlinkages with…

In the last decade or so, interest in electric cooking (e-cooking) has increased in many countries in the global South. As more households aspire to a modern lifestyle, the retail market for electric cooking devices is growing, especially in urban areas, even though the potential is far from being realized. These include appliances such as…

In 2025, the African Development Bank, with support from the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) under the Scaling Up Renewable Energy Program (SREP), has developed a series of Country Diagnostic Studies on Gender and Renewable Energy for Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Lesotho, Madagascar, and Malawi. These studies aim to strengthen the integration of gender equality in national energy strategies…

This paper highlights women’s crucial role in the renewable energy sector, both on-grid and off-grid, and the impact of gender equality on universal energy access. Since 2006, ARE has led in the coordination between private sector, international cooperation and development support programs. Based on this experience, we present key recommendations for companies and funding partners…

Energy lies at the heart of sustainable development and climate action. Clean, affordable, and reliable energy powers hospitals, schools, jobs, and economic transformation. It drives opportunity, fosters social inclusion, and protects our planet for generations to come. This compilation of SDG7 Policy Briefs provides timely insights and recommendations to accelerate progress on sustainable energy, highlighting…

How to Apply a Gender Lens to the Evaluation of Off-Grid Solar Investments This is a sector-specific diagnostic guide to support investors and fund managers to identify existing and future opportunities for gender-smart investing in the off-grid solar (OGS) sector. The guide focuses on standalone products, systems and services which supply energy to people living…

This business case highlights how each stage of the energy value chain, from generation to retail, holds different opportunities for gender inclusion and presents evidence to demonstrate how the clean energy transition can strengthen commercial and social outcomes through the inclusion of women as employees, last-mile distributors, consumers, and community stakeholders.