The Support Programme for the Development of Renewable Energies for Universal Access (PADERAU), funded by the European Union, organised a major workshop in Dakar, highlighting its innovative nature through the integration of a Gender component at the heart of its implementation.

Chaired by Oumou Khaïry Diop, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Energy, Petroleum and Mines, the meeting brought together the European Union Delegation, the French Development Agency (AFD), SENELEC, and other technical partners. The event marked the presentation of the Gender Mission's findings and the closing of the training program for trainers in Gender and Energy.

PADERAU is described as a structuring project to extend the public electricity service in Senegal. Marcela De La Pela, head of mission for the Gender Component of PADERAU, emphasized the importance of having carried out a thorough gender assessment to "support the ministry in strengthening its gender capacities".

This field study established a baseline that confirms that women remain significantly disadvantaged in accessing energy services and are often in subordinate positions. These indicators will now be used to measure the concrete changes brought about by access to electricity in the Matam and Sédhiou regions.

In her address, Ms. Oumou Diop noted that, despite the expansion of services, women often remain marginalized in accessing infrastructure and the economic benefits of energy. She emphasized that implementing inclusion programs will reduce the arduousness of certain daily tasks, empower women, and develop income-generating activities.

She stated that this dynamic proves the importance of a "structured gender action plan, capable of transforming electrification into a real lever for empowerment and equality".

The Permanent Secretary reaffirmed the commitment of the Senegalese State, recalling the existence of a five-year gender action plan since 2019 and the integration of gender into the new energy sector development policy letter signed in 2025.

One of the highlights of the meeting was the official presentation of certificates to the participants. These certified trainers become ambassadors for the gender approach in the sector, responsible for disseminating best practices within energy institutions and projects.

Through PADERAU, financed in particular by the European Union, Senegal demonstrates that universal access to electricity, based on renewable energies, can be a powerful lever for reducing gender inequalities and inclusive development.