This week we are celebrating the positive impact that energy access has on unlocking gender equality as we look ahead to International Women’s Day on Sunday 8 March. This year’s theme is #EachforEqual which empowers each one of us to help create a gender equal world by broadening perceptions, improving situations and celebrating women's achievements.
At Bboxx, we believe energy access is a basic human right and have seen first-hand the transformative effects of our solar home systems (SHS) on the lives and well-being of over one million people with no or unreliable energy access. Closing the energy gap enhances education, health and productivity, while advancing female empowerment and gender equality.
During her time at Bboxx, Iwona Magdalena Bisaga carried out a PhD into scaling up off-grid solar energy access based on a case study of our customers in Rwanda. Iwona found that women benefit from SHS the most − while daily routines and habits shift for both genders as a result of energy access, the shift is more pronounced for women than men.
This is supported by leading academics who have analysed gender dynamics and concluded that women are the ones who bear the brunt of energy poverty, which aggravates and reinforces gender inequalities, thus hindering their development .
Despite the man being the breadwinner, as often remains the case in rural households across Rwanda, the research found that women play a central role in the decision to invest in a SHS and to reverse the negative implications of energy poverty.
The adoption of a modern energy source helps to facilitate many women’s daily activities. These women are no longer constrained by daylight and restricted to carrying out daily tasks during certain hours. Further, energy access has a positive impact on wellbeing by eliminating previous harmful practices.
For example, one woman cited in the PhD stated that by cooking dinner in a lit up place, she was much safer and no longer had to hold a source of light (such as a lantern, a candle or a torch) while cooking, which freed up her hands, and helped her avoid risks associated with candles or lanterns tipping over, which could result in burns.
Another woman shared how before having access to a solar home system, she would nurse her baby in darkness, or with the use of a battery-powered torch if it was available and functioning, in order to avoid the hazards posed by lighting sources such as kerosene lanterns or candles. The SHS now powers a light in her child’s bedroom and means she can nurse at any time of the night.
As well as empowering our customers, we are proud to employ many impressive women at Bboxx globally. Joane Kayibanda started off her career at Bboxx Kenya five years ago in an administrative role. Since then she has helped set up and manage the customer service department, worked as the Acting MD in both Rwanda and Kenya, and is now the Head of Operations in Kenya. Speaking about her time at Bboxx, Joane said:
“It’s been a great journey with Bboxx − growing from less than 5,000 households to over 100,000 with access to solar energy over the last four years has been a huge motivation and driver for me to wake up excited to go to work every day! The customer smiles, the difference made in their lives, and the global team are all reasons why I enjoy working at Bboxx. It gives me a huge sense of purpose.”
We urge the private sector and practitioners working on energy access to not only recognise the importance of gender in energy access planning, but also help inform the public sector. Through greater collaboration, we can create a world where each one of us is equal.
References:
Iwona Magdalena Bisaga, Scaling up off-grid solar energy access through improved understanding of customers’ needs, aspirations and energy use of decentralised (SMART) Solar Home Systems – a case study of BBOXX customers in Rwanda
Sudhakara Reddy, B. & Nathan, H.S.K., 2013. Energy in the development strategy of Indian households - The missing half. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 18, pp.203–210