Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG)

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ECG supplies electricity to six regions in southern Ghana. The utility serves over 1.8 million customers, and partnered with USAID to increase gender equality across the company and improve company performance.
© Electricity Company of Ghana
  • Announcement

    Engendering Industries Welcomes New Partners

    USAID’s Engendering Industries program welcomes 13 new partners from 10 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Middle East. Read the announcement

Engendering Industries Partner Profile

ECG supplies electricity to six regions in southern Ghana. The utility serves over 1.8 million customers, and is partnering with USAID to increase gender equality across the company and improve company performance.

When women serve as leaders and employees, businesses benefit and company performance improves. USAID’s Engendering Industries program works to increase women’s participation in male dominated sectors globally. In 2021, Engendering Industries partnered with ECG—a Ghanaian power utility—to design workplace initiatives that will expand job opportunities for women and enhance the utility’s performance.  Established in 1963, ECG supplies electricity to six regions in southern Ghana. The utility serves over 1.8 million customers and employs over 6,000 people, of which 25 percent are women. Recognizing that diverse teams build better businesses, ECG is partnering with USAID to increase gender equality across the company and encourage more women to enter Ghana’s energy sector.

Gender Equality in Action at ECG

Engendering Industries uses a globally-recognized evidence-based methodology to support women’s participation in Ghana’s energy sector. The program supports ECG to increase opportunities for women by introducing gender equality initiatives at each phase of the employee lifecycle—from reducing gender bias at the hiring stage, to creating strategies that will help retain female talent. Engendering Industries is supporting ECG towards their goal of advancing gender equality within the organization.

A dedicated change management coach supports the utility and works directly with three staff to become agents of change within ECG. A baseline assessment is conducted to identify gaps and opportunities for improving gender equality across the company. The findings are used to develop a strategic action plan that will facilitate ECG’s gender equality goals. This is supplemented by the program’s partnership with the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business, which delivers the Gender Equity Executive Leadership Program (GEELP) to three utility employees. The GEELP is a best-in-class 12-month executive course that empowers decision-makers to integrate gender equality initiatives into their corporate structure.

Engendering Industries will also work to support and accelerate existing gender equality initiatives underway at ECG, including:

  • Strengthening ECG’s internship program, which was first established by MCC in 2019 to provide both female and male university students with hands-on work experience, mentoring, and skills training.
  • Implementing ECG’s Gender and Social Inclusion policy, which the utility approved in 2020. The policy includes gender parity targets of at least 40 percent women at the utility, commits to zero tolerance on sexual harassment, and includes other gender equitable best practices.
  • Investing in skills and capacity building for women who work at the utility, which has focused on women’s career development and training employees in soft skills such as policy advocacy, networking, and leadership.

Three GridCo technicians pose in front of an electric power station
GridCo Technicians
Ryan Kilpatrick / USAID

Launched in 2015, USAID’s Engendering Industries program supports organizations in developing countries to increase economic opportunities for women and improve gender equality in the workplace. Expanding women’s participation in male-dominated sectors leads to tangible economic empowerment outcomes for women, such as formal employment opportunities and higher income. Increased gender equality also improves an organization’s business performance, helping companies meet their bottom-line by enhancing employee satisfaction, reducing turnover, and driving productivity. Well-functioning organizations are also vital in supporting stronger and more resilient economies. Through a customized best practices framework, demand-driven coaching, and a Gender Equity Executive Leadership Program, Engendering Industries builds the capacity of leaders to implement gender equality interventions that increase the professional participation of women and improve business performance.

Last updated: February 23, 2022

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