
The African Renewable Energy Alliance (AREA) held its 3rd international conference in cooperation with ECREEE, on “Renewable Energy & Gender”, from the 27th of June to 1st of July 2011, at the NICON Hilton Hotel, in Abuja, Nigeria. The energy-gender nexus is considered as an important working field of ECREEE. Due to their local availability renewable energies play an important role for satisfying the household energy requirements.
The conference brought together policy makers, representatives from business and civil society, to facilitate a pan-african information exchange. The participants exchanged ideas on policies, technologies and financial mechanisms for the deployment of renewable energies in Africa, in consideration of the fact that gender is a main determinant that defines access, ways of utilization, opportunities and control over all energy resources. As renewable energy could be a tool for gender equality and women empowerment, gender perspectives are a critical component of policy making at all levels. The presentations of the conference can be downloaded below: