How Small Business Can Enable a Gender Equitable Energy Transition Experience from the Global South

The Clean Energy for Development (CEDCA) initiative, funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), supports 12 research projects that operate in 27 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Central and South America, and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) to produce systematic and rigorous empirical data to inform three themes: clean energy transition, micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), and women and youth. We are particularly interested in the potential that MSMEs hold to generate employment and entrepreneurial opportunities via transition to clean energy because they are known to be powerful engines and force multipliers for poverty alleviation and social mobility. As just one example, the Economic Research Forum (ERF), which led one of the 12 CEDCA projects reported that in countries in the MENA region, MSMEs represent 90% of all firms and 60% of all employment. This webinar grew out of our interest in wanting to discuss how a transition out of fossil fuels might present opportunities to bridge global economic divides and create new possibilities for promoting inclusivity and building a sustainable and just future. We pay close attention to gender equality and youth inclusion because a just transition cannot focus solely on reducing carbon emissions. We must also ensure that a global clean or low-carbon economy will be more gender equitable and socially just than its fossil-fuel based predecessor. We have representatives from 4 of 12 CEDCA projects here as speakers. Representatives from the other projects are also in attendance and will participate in the discussion. This webinar is moderated by Bipasha Baruah Professor and Western Research Chair in Global Women's Issues at the University of Western Ontario.and features speakers Yasmeen Oraby, María Eugenia Castelao Caruana, Leonard Hasu, and Nhung Nguyen. ----- Additional information --- For further information on this subject, the ILO has some very relevant and timely information. For example: https://www.ilo.org/about-ilo/organiz... In South Central Africa, there is a relatively new entity in Malawi - Zayed Solar Academy - which offers a variety of courses on solar. Their first courses for informal solar panel installation and repair for local village women. Since then, formal NVQ courses are were developed. (current webpage unavailable) This link will lead you to the thematic paper "Gender Equality, Climate Change, and Clean Energy in the Middle East and North Africa" https://erf.org.eg/publications/gende... www.ce4dev.org