Gender and Justice in Africa’s Energy Shift

In Africa, if the distinctive contexts of women are not fully considered, the promise of a Just Energy Transition (JET) that is inclusive, sustainable, and fair may instead exacerbate existing injustices.

Existing literature on energy transitions often lacks a deep understanding of the local nuances that shape energy access and gender dynamics in Africa, yet this is a crucial aspect of defining a truly just and inclusive transition on the continent. Research focused on a JET in the African context is essential for shaping an inclusive approach to energy transitions; however, to bridge this gap, the Operationalising Just Transitions in Africa (OJTA) programme, funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), is exploring how a truly just transition can take shape within the African context. The programme’s upcoming book, Operationalising the Just Energy Transition in Africa: Possibilities and Pathways in an Uneven Global Context, aims to contribute to this knowledge base with learning from localised solutions that prioritise social equity alongside economic and environmental goals.

One of the publication’s central themes addresses the question of how to achieve a just transition that is both gender and energy-just. Herein, chapter authors, Mistancia Kanengoni, Nelson Chege, Sam Nyamwange, Sandra Bhatsara, and Priyanka Ukabhai stress the necessity for gender-informed frameworks to ensure inclusivity and draw on real-world case studies to illustrate that just transition approaches should prioritise qualitative improvements in livelihood quality over purely quantitative economic growth. In this thought piece, the authors highlight some key takeaways from the research under this theme and highlight some of the key Africa-centric considerations for integrating gender in just transition.

Read more on these insights here.

 

Image courtesy of Ken Kahiri via Unsplash.