Integrating Gender and Social Dimensions into Energy Interventions in Afghanistan
This policy brief suggests ways for Afghanistan to integrate gender and social aspects into energy projects, to better address the country’s energy challenges and enhance its development impact. The energy sector increasingly recognizes that men an...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Report |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2020
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/942411583910670564/Integrating-Gender-and-Social-Dimensions-into-Energy-Interventions-in-Afghanistan http://hdl.handle.net/10986/33472 |
| Summary: | This policy brief suggests ways for
Afghanistan to integrate gender and social aspects into
energy projects, to better address the country’s energy
challenges and enhance its development impact. The energy
sector increasingly recognizes that men and women experience
different levels of access to benefits and exposure to risks
and that these are important elements to be considered for
effective policy-making and project design. Women and men
have different roles, responsibilities, and voice within
households, markets, and their communities. Despite
significant improvements, gender equality remains a major
challenge in Afghan society, with women and girls being far
more disadvantaged than men and boys. Rural grid
electrification interventions that involve men and women
into project implementation can lead to increased
electricity access and use. Energy efficiency measures that
specifically target men and women can improve adoption rates
and drive behavior change. This policy brief presented a
series of actions embedded into energy interventions aiming
to address Afghanistan’s energy challenges and improve
gender equality. Four types of energy interventions were
selected: grid and off-grid electrification in rural areas,
energy efficiency initiatives, and electricity pricing
policies. This policy brief seeks to show how Afghanistan
can integrate gender and social concerns into energy
projects to better address the country’s energy issues and
achieve greater development impact. Chapter one gives
introduction. Chapter two examines how energy can benefit
men and women, emphasizing the gender-differentiated impacts
of energy on human development and economic empowerment.
Chapter three presents the socioeconomic status of
Afghanistan and provides overviews on gender and the energy
sector. Chapter four identifies several strategies for
integrating gender and social considerations into the
development and implementation of energy projects and
programs in Afghanistan, including on-grid and off-grid
electrification in rural areas, energy efficiency
initiatives, and electricity pricing policies, with the aim
of addressing current specific challenges. |
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