Research Project: The Energy Transition for Women’s Economic Empowerment through the Horticultural Value Chain in a Post-Covid Context in Guinea and Senegal (WEL Project)

The energy context in Senegal and Guinea is marked by challenges in energy access. Given their potential, sub-Saharan African countries are focusing on solar energy to ensure their energy transition. In Senegal, actions include the National Rural Electrification Program (PNER), the establishment of 8 solar power plants, and the 158 MW wind power plant. In Guinea, the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) aims to cover approximately 30,000 households with hydroelectric and solar power by 2030. There is a growing consensus on the need to ensure the energy transition of productive activities, particularly agriculture. Representing 16% and 5% of GDP in Senegal and Guinea, respectively, the horticultural sector is growing rapidly, with a 37% increase in production between 2012 and 2018. It is a value chain where women are highly involved, from production to commercialization and processing. However, certain activities, particularly manual water extraction, not only have a financial cost but also a significant time cost and can be physically demanding, especially on small farms with manual water extraction. Access to solar energy could ease this work, allowing women to have leisure time or engage in additional income-generating activities.