(Em)Powering Women Through Access to Renewable Energy

Our challenge is that access to energy in Guinea-Bissau is currently available to only 35.76% of the population, with the majority residing in the capital, Bissau. Rural areas, however, face significant challenges, with little to no reliable energy sources. This disparity is exacerbated by the country's underdeveloped infrastructure, further limiting energy access and usage. Energy access is essential for the health and well-being of the population in Guinea-Bissau. In particular, the lack of energy significantly impacts women's domestic labour, creating severe health risks. Therefore, this project aims to provide clean energy to women in the Cacheu Region, empowering them through economic activities facilitated by reliable energy access.

The Cacheu region constitutes 14.3% of Guinea-Bissau’s national territory, covering 5,174.9 km², and is the fourth-largest regional area in the country. It comprises seven administrative sectors (Bigene, Bula, Caió, Cacheu, Canchungo, Calequisse, and São Domingos), six of which are officially recognized (Cacheu, Canchungo, Caió, Bula, Bigene, and São Domingos). There are 29 sections (25 recognized), 154 communities, and 755 localities within the region. According to the region's strategic plan for sustainable development (PEDSR 2021-2025), Cacheu has 199,674 inhabitants, with a female population of 104,403 and a male population of 95,271. The main ethnic groups include Manjacos, Balantas, Mancanhas, Mandingas, Fulas, Felupes, Papeis, Banhuns, Cobianas, Mansoncas, Nhomincas, and Bijagós. The renewable energy project aims to intervene in six localities (Cobiana, Djopa, Banhinda, Mata, Poilão de Leão, Djenden), impacting a population of 3,126 people, with 1,605 men and 1,521 women.  In Cacheu, women play a crucial role in the local economy but often face significant barriers to education, employment, technical and professional skills and resources1. Therefore, the first output is through introducing solar photovoltaics will not only provide access to electricity but also create economic opportunities, promoting women's empowerment and autonomy. This photovoltaic energy project focuses primarily on female empowerment, addressing access to clean electricity and the environmental, social, and economic empowerment of the communities within the Tarrafes do Rio Cacheu Natural Park (PNTC). Nearly 100% of households in the targeted localities lack any form of electricity network, with few exceptions such as the régulos’ residences in Mata and Cobiana, and a shop in Poilão de Leão, which have precarious solar systems. The rest of the houses in these villages have no electricity supply systems. The project aims to empower women in the PNTC communities by installing, managing, and maintaining photovoltaic solar energy systems, thereby improving access to electricity and creating economic opportunities for them.

The Accelerator Lab will explore, map, and test solutions to help Cacheu women develop economic activities based on their current practices. This will ensure the project's sustainability through innovative methodologies such as design thinking, collective intelligence, system mapping, and futures thinking, fostering creativity, entrepreneurship, and sustainability through improved renewable energy.

The Accelerator Lab is set to empower Cacheu women by exploring and testing solutions for sustainable economic activities. Using innovative methods like design thinking, collective intelligence, and system mapping, we'll boost creativity, entrepreneurship, and renewable energy! 

How might access to solar energy improve the livelihoods of women of the region of Cacheu?  How might access to solar energy boost local economy by increasing productivity?  How might economic activities linked to solar energy empower women economically? How might access to energy decrease the negative impacts to health of women associated with traditional practices?

Brainstorming: we will brainstorm the best way to approach the challenge question in the villages in order to extract the maximum amount of information.  Collective Intelligence: we will conduct focus groups with the communities with different roles, as well as dividing groups by gender in order to understand different dynamics.  Data Collection: We will collect data from the focus groups and also through the Design Thinking questionnaire.  Design Thinking: This methodology will help us to understand what the real learning question is and the problems standing in the way of achieving these objectives.  Solutions Mapping: We will map solutions for maintenance of the mini grids and also for economic activities related to solar energy.

Citizen data: This source allowed us to speak directly to the communities to understand a different perspective in relation to use of energy.  Photo documentation: this method will permit us to transmit the findings through storytelling. 

If women in rural communities in Cacheu are given access to renewable energy and their capacities are enhanced, this will provoke a domino effect. They will have access to energy efficiency models and options, allowing them to divert their energy and productivity towards economic activities facilitated by solar energy. This, in turn, can be invested in improving social structures such as schools, hospitals, safer jobs, and environmental preservation for future generations, and decreasing the use and dependence on other harmful sources of energy. Additionally, this learning cycle serves as a pilot initiative that aims to catalyse the scale-up of interventions to improve access to modern energy at a national level. By ensuring that women have access to renewable energy and economic opportunities, the project envisions a future where gender inequalities are reduced, and the overall well-being of communities is enhanced.