Women farmers in Tanzania have harnessed solar technology to reduce post-harvest losses, enhancing food security in the country. This was revealed by panelists at an African Development Bank event held to launch the Bank’s Gender and Energy brief on the status of gender mainstreaming in Tanzania’s energy sector.

The brief aims to provide recommendations that will inform policymaking by the government and other stakeholders. African Development Bank is optimistic that increasing gender equality in access to energy is expected to create jobs and other opportunities for women in Tanzania’s energy sector.

The Bank organized the virtual workshop in cooperation with the Climate Investment Funds and the International Network on Gender and Sustainable Energy (ENERGIA). Participants emphasized the importance of carrying out monitoring and impact assessments to assess progress.

The African Development Bank’s Officer in charge of Tanzania, Dejene Demissie, in opening remarks stated that the institution had allocated 20 percent of its $2.4 billion Tanzania investment portfolio to the energy sector with the rationale of addressing women’s under-representation in the energy sector in the East African Nation.

“We must focus on integrating gender in energy sector planning”.
Demissie

The Bank provides advisory services in addition to financing and also champions data and other knowledge products to boost women’s participation in Tanzania’s energy sector.

Gisela Ngoo, a Bank gender and social development consultant in Tanzania revealed that women farmers used solar panels to winnow maize and other grain crops, boosting food security. This development, according to the consultant who undertook a comprehensive study of gender mainstreaming in the country’s energy sector, said, pointed to the growing importance of access to clean energy solutions, particularly for women.

“The availability of solar panels could address the energy needs of women, using the right technologies to enhance food security and to narrow the energy provision gaps in Tanzania “
Ngoo

Although Tanzania scores well in terms of gender equality compared to the continental average, Ngoo noted that too few women held bank accounts or leadership positions. Women’s access to energy varies across the country, which has an electricity connection rate of just 37 percent. Women are particularly heavily impacted by energy poverty and often resort to using fuels such as charcoal or firewood that are harmful to the environment and their health, according to the country brief.

Better access to energy, Ngoo said, would improve cooking, health, and improve women’s ability to access jobs. She urged authorities to invest in bridging gender gaps in energy access. She added that the East African region has strong political commitment and policies in place to mainstream gender. She, however, called for the need for new approaches to the implementation of these policies so that the full benefits can be reaped by the country.

Tanzania’s agriculture sector contributes nearly one-third of the country’s GDP and employs 75 percent of the population with huge potential to increase incomes and improve livelihoods. Tanzania is focusing on agriculture as a means to achieve economic growth. Its plans incorporate private sector engagement including the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania initiative, a public-private partnership to increase agricultural business investments in the country’s southern corridor. Post-harvest lose is a major problem facing smallholder farmers in Tanzania. Estimates show that Tanzanian smallholder farmers lose up to 40% of their harvests due to poor handling and storage methods.