WEN-Africa

Throughout March, WEN-Africa partners hosted and participated in a range of International Women’s Day events across the continent.

Different locations. Different contexts.
But a shared direction.

Across these discussions, a few themes kept coming up:
• The need to strengthen technical capacity for women
• Bridging the gap between training and employment
• Creating safe and supportive work environments
• Ensuring policies translate into real opportunities

What this tells us is simple.

The conversation is evolving, but the work ahead is still significant.

At WEN-Africa, we see our role as connecting these conversations and turning them into coordinated action.

Because real change does not happen in isolation.

We are pleased to share that WEN-Africa has been featured in the latest ESMAP newsletter.

The feature highlights key areas of our work:
• Empowering women in rural communities through clean energy
• Building leadership pipelines beyond basic participation
• Insights from our network activities in Togo (Feb 2026)

This recognition reflects the collective effort of our partners and the growing relevance of the work being carried out across the network.

More importantly, it reinforces a shift in the conversation.
From access to leadership. From inclusion to influence.

We are proud to see this work recognised on a global platform.

March was an important month for WEN-Africa.

Across different countries, our partners came together to mark International Women’s Day, not just as a celebration, but as a platform for honest conversations.

The focus was clear:
• Moving women from participation to leadership
• Addressing barriers within the energy sector
• Creating practical pathways into technical and decision-making roles

What stood out was the consistency of the message across regions.
The challenges may differ slightly, but the need for structured support and long-term commitment remains the same.

For us, these events are not one-off moments.
They are part of a broader effort to shape a more inclusive energy sector across Africa.

Let’s be clear.

Women’s empowerment in energy is not just a social priority. It’s a business one.

Diverse teams make better decisions.

Inclusive organisations perform better.

Stronger representation leads to better outcomes across the value chain.

With continued support from the World Bank and ESMAP, WEN-Africa is helping organisations understand that gender inclusion is not a side initiative, it’s central to performance.

The question is no longer “Why include women?”

It’s “Why aren’t we doing more, faster?”

Empowerment doesn’t happen in isolation.

It requires partnerships that are committed to long-term change.

Through collaboration with the World Bank and ESMAP, WEN-Africa is able to:
• Support training and knowledge exchange
• Strengthen regional networks
• Highlight success stories across Africa

These partnerships are not just symbolic.

They are enabling real, measurable progress for women in the energy sector.

One of the biggest challenges is not just hiring women into energy, but building a strong pipeline.

That starts early:
✔ Encouraging girls in STEM
✔ Providing mentorship opportunities
✔ Creating real pathways into technical and leadership roles

With the backing of the World Bank and ESMAP, WEN-Africa is supporting initiatives that focus on long-term capacity building, not short-term visibility.

Because sustainable change requires a pipeline, not just isolated success stories.

Energy access, affordability, and sustainability are not gender-neutral issues.

Women are often the most affected by energy poverty, yet historically the least represented in solving it.

That’s why initiatives supported by the World Bank and ESMAP are critical.
They are not just supporting women as professionals, but as key drivers of change in their communities.

At WEN-Africa, we see this every day:
When women are empowered in energy, the impact goes far beyond the sector.

Access is the first step. Influence is the real goal.

Many women are now entering the energy sector across Africa.
But how many are part of strategic decisions?

With support from the World Bank and ESMAP, WEN-Africa is focused on:
• Building leadership capacity
• Supporting career progression
• Creating platforms where women’s voices shape policy and practice

Because empowerment is not just about participation.
It’s about influence.

For years, we’ve talked about increasing women’s participation in the energy sector. But talk alone doesn’t change systems.

Real progress happens when women are:
✔ Given access to technical training
✔ Supported through mentorship
✔ Positioned in decision-making roles

Through the support of the World Bank and ESMAP, WEN-Africa is helping turn intent into action, creating pathways for women not just to enter the sector, but to lead in it.

This is not about representation for the sake of numbers.
It’s about strengthening the sector with diverse leadership and perspectives.