Madagascar in East Africa has one of the highest rates of sexual violence in the world, with statistics reporting that a third of women aged 15-49 have experienced at least one form of gender-based violence. In addition, almost four in ten women marry before the age of 18 (World Bank, 2021).
Children, and girls in particular, are vulnerable to commercial sexual exploitation, domestic servitude, coerced begging, and forced labour in mining, fishing and agriculture. Family members and peers reinforce the exploitation of girls in tourist locations, cities, vanilla-growing regions and in mining areas (USDOL, 2021). Limited access to, and control over, resources also perpetuates inequalities and hinders social inclusion.
The PowerPath project addresses these issues by proactively engaging with local communities, conducting gender and social inclusion assessments, and integrating their perspectives into initiatives to help mitigate identified barriers. In tandem, the implementation of capacity-building programmes provides training and skills development opportunities, specifically targeting women, and marginalised groups such as vulnerable youth, to promote economic empowerment and social inclusion.
PowerPath partner Nanoé has previous experience in the area of gender equality and social inclusion, with their actions having raised female participation in entrepreneurship by up to 15% in Madagascar, against the energy industry standard of below 5%. PowerPath creates income-generating opportunities which directly benefit women, while providing access to electricity, leading to enhancements in education and healthcare, and opening up communication channels for the empowerment of women towards financial independence. e-Cooking appliances such as rice cookers and blenders will be deployed to customers of the solution during the project in order to benefit women.
Fostering social inclusion, in combination with economic empowerment, can increase women's decision-making power towards leadership roles, and reduce their vulnerability to gender-based violence, ensuring representation and active participation in energy-related activities.