A new African Development Bank (AfDB) report places the women energy transition at the centre of The Gambia’s renewable energy ambitions, arguing that women must become active drivers of the country’s clean energy transformation rather than passive beneficiaries of government programmes. While The Gambia has adopted progressive policies promoting gender equality in the energy sector, the report finds that significant gaps remain between national commitments and the lived experiences of women, particularly in rural communities.
The study, Women as Key Partners: A Gender-Transformative Renewable Energy Strategy and Action Plan for The Gambia, was produced by the African Development Bank in collaboration with The Gambia’s Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare, with financial support from the Climate Investment Funds. It presents a comprehensive roadmap for integrating women into every stage of the country’s transition to renewable energy while identifying new investment opportunities across clean cooking, renewable energy enterprises, technical skills development and gender-responsive financing.
According to the report, energy poverty continues to disproportionately affect women, who remain primarily responsible for household energy needs. Most Gambian households still depend on traditional fuels such as firewood and charcoal for cooking, exposing women and children to harmful indoor air pollution while increasing the amount of time spent collecting fuel. Limited access to clean cooking technologies not only presents a serious public health challenge but also represents one of the country’s largest untapped investment opportunities in modern energy services.
The report further highlights persistent disparities in electricity access between urban and rural areas. Although electrification has improved in recent years, many rural communities continue to rely on unreliable or low-quality electricity, limiting economic opportunities for women and restricting access to productive uses of energy
Despite playing a central role in household energy management and community livelihoods, women remain significantly underrepresented in decision-making institutions across the energy sector. The report points to the National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC), where women account for only a small proportion of employees, particularly in technical, engineering and senior leadership positions. This imbalance reflects wider structural barriers that continue to prevent women from participating fully in the country’s growing renewable energy industry.
Drawing on nationwide surveys, focus group discussions and extensive community consultations, the study concludes that implementation has not kept pace with The Gambia’s policy ambitions on gender equality. While legal and institutional frameworks increasingly recognise the importance of women’s inclusion, practical measures to expand participation remain limited
To address these shortcomings, the strategy proposes five interconnected priorities designed to create a more inclusive energy sector. These include strengthening gender-responsive policies and governance frameworks, expanding education and vocational training opportunities, improving women’s access to finance, increasing community engagement and awareness, and building stronger partnerships between government, development institutions, civil society and the private sector
For investors, development finance institutions and private sector stakeholders, the report outlines a growing pipeline of commercial opportunities aligned with the women energy transition agenda. Expanding women’s participation in renewable energy is presented not only as a social development objective but also as a pathway to accelerating economic growth and strengthening the country’s clean energy market
The report recommends targeted scholarships, mentorship programmes and technical training to encourage more women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), with particular emphasis on renewable energy disciplines. Developing a larger pool of skilled female technicians and engineers would help support the expansion of solar photovoltaic systems, mini-grid development, off-grid electrification projects and clean cooking enterprises across the country
Access to finance remains one of the most significant barriers identified by the study. Women entrepreneurs often face limited access to credit, inadequate business training, restricted market opportunities and persistent social norms that constrain their participation in the formal economy. Overcoming these obstacles could unlock substantial opportunities for targeted lending programmes, blended finance initiatives, guarantee facilities and results-based financing schemes designed specifically for women-led clean energy businesses.
Among the sectors identified as offering strong commercial potential are solar system installation and maintenance, clean cookstove manufacturing and distribution, biomass briquette production, renewable energy retail services and decentralised energy solutions tailored to rural communities
The strategy also places considerable emphasis on strengthening partnerships that can foster innovation, build technical capacity and integrate Gambian women entrepreneurs into emerging renewable energy value chains across West Africa. Greater collaboration between government agencies, international development partners, financial institutions and private companies is viewed as essential for scaling women’s participation throughout the energy ecosystem
Implementation of the strategy is scheduled to run from 2026 to 2030 through coordinated action involving the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare, the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, development partners and other national stakeholders. Success will depend on sustained investment, institutional coordination and measurable progress in expanding women’s economic participation within the renewable energy sector
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Ultimately, the AfDB report reframes The Gambia’s energy transition as both a social inclusion imperative and an economic growth opportunity. It argues that accelerating the women energy transition can help close energy access gaps, improve public health outcomes, stimulate entrepreneurship and strengthen the country’s renewable energy industry
Over the coming years, the report identifies several key indicators that will determine the strategy’s success, including rising female employment across the energy workforce, the growth of women-led renewable energy enterprises, increased investment in clean cooking technologies, wider deployment of decentralised solar systems and stronger participation of women throughout The Gambia’s clean energy value chain. Together, these measures could transform the country’s renewable energy transition into a more inclusive and economically resilient model for the wider West African region.
