Development of a Pacific Energy and Gender (PEG) Strategic Action Plan

The CTIF is a Global Affairs Canada-funded project to support sustainable trade and investment-related policy reforms that have high potential to reduce poverty in developing countries of the Asia-Pacific Region.   The Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) required technical assistance from the CTIF to increase women’s engagement in the sustainable energy sector by developing the Second Regional Pacific Energy and Gender Strategic Action Plan (PEGSAP) for 2020-2030. The main objective of the PEGSAP is to increase women’s participation in the energy employment market as entrepreneurs, tradespeople and professionals. Given the lack of sex-disaggregated data on gender and energy in the region, the consultancy involved conducting a gender-based assessment in a representative sample of six Pacific Island Countries (PICs) representing all sub-regions, namely Melanesia (Fiji, the Solomon Islands), Polynesia (Samoa, Tuvalu), and Micronesia (Kiribati and RMI), to inform the development of the PEGSAP.

Under the mandate, Econoler and IUCN ORO carried out the following tasks:

• Conducted a gender-based assessment (GBA) in six target countries to evaluate the links between energy and gender in the region. The GBA consisted of a three-level assessment: (1) gender equality situation at the national level; (2) analyzing women’s engagement in the sustainable energy value chain; and (3) conducting an internal gender assessment of the implementing agencies (including SPC). Data were collected through a literature review, statistical review, gender needs assessment, consultations with national and regional stakeholders, interviews, focus group discussions, etc.
• Facilitated consultations with regional and national stakeholders while drafting the PEGSAP to promote regional ownership. Two virtual stakeholder workshops were organized to present findings and collect inputs.
• Drafted a 10-year regional strategic action plan and developed supporting documents thereof including: a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) plan, a training and capacity building strategy, and a cost-benefit analysis framework.
• Developed an indicative budget and a resource mobilization plan to ensure the sustainability of the PEGSAP during the implementation period.

This initiative, jointly undertaken by the Pacific Community and the CTIF, was highly welcomed in the region given that no specific work on gender and energy had been undertaken at the regional level since 2015. The approach promoted an enhanced policy development strategy that is sustainable, long-term, and inclusive while providing SPC with all the required tools to implement the PEGSAP.