ENERGIA, the International Network on Gender and Sustainable Energy, is hosted by Hivos, an international development organisation guided by humanist values and committed to building just, inclusive and life-sustaining societies where people have equal access to opportunities, rights and resources.
ENERGIA’s Phase 7 strategy — Women Driving the Energy Transition and Climate Justice — seeks to advance universal energy access while promoting climate justice, with gender equality at its core. The strategy recognises women not only as beneficiaries of clean energy access, but as essential leaders and entrepreneurs in the energy transition.
The Women’s Economic Empowerment Programme forms a central part of Phase 7. Co-funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the programme is delivered across five countries — Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria, Senegal and Tanzania — through partnerships with Practical Action, the Centre for Rural Technology, Mercy Corps/Energy 4 Impact, and Solar Sister.
This independent impact assessment examines how ENERGIA’s Phase 7 programme has contributed to the economic and social empowerment of women entrepreneurs working in the clean energy sector.
Through direct feedback from participants, the study explores changes in women’s decision-making power, business performance, financial resilience, and social standing. It also assesses how women perceive the relevance and quality of the support delivered by ENERGIA’s partner organisations.
The findings will inform the broader external evaluation of ENERGIA’s Phase 7 strategy.
Specifically, the study focuses on three core areas:
Economic empowerment: How has ENERGIA’s support enabled women to start, grow, or strengthen their income-generating activities, improve their economic standing, and build resilience within the clean energy sector?
Social empowerment: How has participation influenced women’s roles within their households and communities, including their confidence and decision-making power?
Quality of support: How do entrepreneurs experience the programme’s support in terms of relevance, responsiveness, and overall quality?
Across all five countries, 90% of women entrepreneurs report improvements in their quality of life, and half report their quality of life has very much improved’ because of ENERGIA. Key drivers include higher household income (53%), business expansion (31%), and the ability to pay for children’s education (25%).
The depth of change varies across contexts: Nepal and Nigeria show the strongest improvement, while Senegal reports more modest improvements. These results highlight ENERGIA’s role in enhancing women’s livelihoods and building economic resilience which is a core Phase 7 objective.
91% of entrepreneurs report higher business or farm revenues, with a third reporting increases of more than 50%. 62% say their current income-earning activity began because of ENERGIA’s support.
By enabling business creation, expansion, and diversification, the program is laying the foundation for sustainable, women-led income generation beyond the life of the intervention, directly addressing ENERGIA’s long-term economic-empowerment goal for Phase 8.
58% of entrepreneurs decide independently how to use business income, while 83% report greater ability to make key business decisions. Patterns vary across countries: Kenya and Senegal show higher individual financial autonomy, whereas Nepal reflects strong joint decision-making (84%), demonstrating empowerment through shared influence. These findings indicate that ENERGIA’s approach builds both economic autonomy and collaborative agency.
81% of entrepreneurs report increased respect and recognition, and 55% say this respect has ‘very much improved’. Women link this change to their financial contributions, improved living conditions, and greater recognition of their efforts and skills. These shifts point to tangible social transformation where women gain not only income but also status, voice, and respect, advancing ENERGIA’s gender-equality objectives.
The overall Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 47 indicates strong satisfaction, and only 23% report challenges, most often related to high product prices.
Participants most value business skills training, income-earning opportunities, and product quality. High satisfaction demonstrates ENERGIA’s relevance and effectiveness.
