Page 5 - A Case Study on The Value of Engaging Women in the Energy Provisioning Process
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The Value of Engaging Women in the Energy Provisioning Process
3. Energy Provisioning through Inclusive Collaboration
(EPIC)
Mainstreaming Women into the Energy Delivery Process through
Institutional Enabling and Role Definition
Participatory processes are important requisites in mainstreaming women into the energy access
value chain. But more importantly it is the form of participation that is devised over and above the
mere presence of women that will define true gender inclusion (Clancy 2010). Women’s particular
roles in their families and communities, as well as their credit risk profile, make them potentially more
suitable and effective than men for specific roles within the energy access sector. In turn, this helps
women to benefit from new employment opportunities and higher incomes and creates positive
implications for the community at large (Kathleen O’Dell 2014).
The EPIC Model works on a simplified premise that identifies specific roles for women—to
facilitate last mile disseminations and the serviceability of clean lighting and cooking technologies.
Keeping in view the commercial viability of the clean energy intervention and the social objective
of inclusion and empowerment, the Model effectively involves and enables grassroots institutions
to function as commercial energy enterprises and women as active participants in the energy
provisioning process, creating a gender sensitive value chain and an empowerment opportunity that
manifests itself through enterprise and skill development, the disintegration of gender stereotypical
roles, and positive societal transformations.
3.1 Institutional Enabling
At the institutional level, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), with support from UK Aid,
collaborated with Shramik Bharti to deliver clean energy solutions in designated project areas of
operation. It may be emphasized that an essential prerequisite to a successful women centric energy
provisioning programme could be the availability of a well-grounded grassroots organization with
easy access to these women and communities. As an NGO that worked for the empowerment and
development of women and children, Shramik Bharti was a well suited candidate for this model, and
brought with it access to a network of over 30,000 women through its 2,500 self-help groups (SHGs)
established over the years.
In its role as a principal enabling institution, TERI’s primary focus was on facilitating access to
clean energy solutions. For this it operated as a business advisor, a technology partner, and an
incubator for rural energy enterprises. TERI also worked on developing a local network of grass-
root agents to enable the successful last mile delivery of clean lighting and cooking solutions.
Shramik Bharti, on the other hand, functioned as a commercially-driven energy enterprise (EE)
responsible for facilitating on ground implementations through the acquisition, installation,
and follow up maintenance of equipment, as well as for making its SHG groups accessible to
TERI for mass promotion of clean energy alternatives and for the inclusion of these women
in the implementation process. As an EE, Shramik Bharti was provided specialized technical
training and skills by TERI to sell, maintain, and service a comprehensive range of clean lighting
and cooking solutions including solar lanterns and solar charging stations, solar micro grids,
independent home lighting solutions, improved cookstoves, and integrated domestic energy
systems. Also, besides earning profits as a commercially operating energy enterprise, the NGO
5
3. Energy Provisioning through Inclusive Collaboration
(EPIC)
Mainstreaming Women into the Energy Delivery Process through
Institutional Enabling and Role Definition
Participatory processes are important requisites in mainstreaming women into the energy access
value chain. But more importantly it is the form of participation that is devised over and above the
mere presence of women that will define true gender inclusion (Clancy 2010). Women’s particular
roles in their families and communities, as well as their credit risk profile, make them potentially more
suitable and effective than men for specific roles within the energy access sector. In turn, this helps
women to benefit from new employment opportunities and higher incomes and creates positive
implications for the community at large (Kathleen O’Dell 2014).
The EPIC Model works on a simplified premise that identifies specific roles for women—to
facilitate last mile disseminations and the serviceability of clean lighting and cooking technologies.
Keeping in view the commercial viability of the clean energy intervention and the social objective
of inclusion and empowerment, the Model effectively involves and enables grassroots institutions
to function as commercial energy enterprises and women as active participants in the energy
provisioning process, creating a gender sensitive value chain and an empowerment opportunity that
manifests itself through enterprise and skill development, the disintegration of gender stereotypical
roles, and positive societal transformations.
3.1 Institutional Enabling
At the institutional level, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), with support from UK Aid,
collaborated with Shramik Bharti to deliver clean energy solutions in designated project areas of
operation. It may be emphasized that an essential prerequisite to a successful women centric energy
provisioning programme could be the availability of a well-grounded grassroots organization with
easy access to these women and communities. As an NGO that worked for the empowerment and
development of women and children, Shramik Bharti was a well suited candidate for this model, and
brought with it access to a network of over 30,000 women through its 2,500 self-help groups (SHGs)
established over the years.
In its role as a principal enabling institution, TERI’s primary focus was on facilitating access to
clean energy solutions. For this it operated as a business advisor, a technology partner, and an
incubator for rural energy enterprises. TERI also worked on developing a local network of grass-
root agents to enable the successful last mile delivery of clean lighting and cooking solutions.
Shramik Bharti, on the other hand, functioned as a commercially-driven energy enterprise (EE)
responsible for facilitating on ground implementations through the acquisition, installation,
and follow up maintenance of equipment, as well as for making its SHG groups accessible to
TERI for mass promotion of clean energy alternatives and for the inclusion of these women
in the implementation process. As an EE, Shramik Bharti was provided specialized technical
training and skills by TERI to sell, maintain, and service a comprehensive range of clean lighting
and cooking solutions including solar lanterns and solar charging stations, solar micro grids,
independent home lighting solutions, improved cookstoves, and integrated domestic energy
systems. Also, besides earning profits as a commercially operating energy enterprise, the NGO
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