Engendering Utilities Welcomes New Partners
USAID’s Engendering Utilities program welcomes 12 new utility partners from 11 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Read the announcement
EEU has more than 2.7 million customers and aims to connect 100 percent of the country to the grid by 2025. EEU employs over 18,000 people, of which 21 percent are women.
Rapid population growth in Ethiopia has strained government efforts to expand access to electricity, especially in rural regions. While the country’s grid covers 80 percent of the population, only 44 percent of urban and 31 percent of rural Ethiopians have access to electricity. The government adopted a National Electrification Program in 2017 with the goal of achieving universal access to electricity by 2025. They also signed a Public Private Partnership Proclamation that allows private firms to invest in the energy sector, creating a more competitive market. Engendering Utilities’ work with EEU will ensure women capitalize on increased investment in Ethiopia’s energy sector as the industry and labor force continue to grow.
A complex web of contributing factors prevents women in Ethiopia from joining the formal workforce, particularly the male-dominated energy sector. Ethiopia has made strides toward gender equality, most notably through the election of the country’s first female president, Sahle-Work Zewde, in the 2018 election. Despite this, only 35 percent of university students are women, with only seven percent of those women pursuing degrees in traditionally male-dominated areas. While female participation in the labor force is relatively high (76 percent), only 20 percent are employed in senior or middle management roles, and only five percent are top managers. Engendering Utilities is supporting EEU to consider and respond to factors that reduce women’s workforce participation by building inclusive policies and practices that benefit men, women, and businesses in the energy sector.
USAID is supporting EEU in its goal of advancing gender equality within the organization by providing change management coaching and leadership training, conducting a baseline assessment to identify gaps and opportunities for gender equality, and developing a strategic plan with EEU to facilitate the company’s gender equality goals.
USAID will also work to support and accelerate existing gender equality initiatives underway at EEU, including:
USAID’s Engendering Utilities program welcomes 12 new utility partners from 11 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Read the announcement
Last updated: March 26, 2021
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