International Women's Rights Day: how the Fondation Nexans empowers women

March marks the celebration of International Women's Rights Day on the 8th. The Fondation Nexans highlights the initiatives it supports to promote women's rights and empowerment worldwide. Throughout the month, we share insights, statistics, and success stories showcasing the Fondation's role in advancing gender equality.

Electrification: A key driver for gender equality?

Since its inception in 2013, the Fondation Nexans has pursued a mission: ensuring universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy—aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7).

However, energy access is more than just a necessity; it is a catalyst for achieving multiple other SDGs, including Goal 5—empowering women and girls.

How Energy Access Transforms Women’s Lives

A striking statistic underlines the importance of electrification:

185 million women and girls could escape poverty if universal electricity access were achieved. (Source: UN Women – Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals of Gender, 2023).

Access to affordable and sustainable energy is essential for reducing gender inequality across the globe. Here’s why:

Energy access empowers women

Access to electricity represents both time and money. According to a 2011 South African study, the arrival of electricity in the country's most rural areas led to a 10% increase in women's employment. This study showed that electrified households freed women from domestic chores, allowing them to find a job or start a microenterprise. (Taryn Dinkleman, “The effects of rural electrification on employment: New evidence from South Africa,” American Economic Review 101, no. 7 (2011): pp. 3078–3108.)

In many parts of the world, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, women are responsible for managing households and collecting fuel for cooking or heating. These tasks expose them to serious health risks.

Every year, 3.2 million people die from poisoning or household accidents linked to using coal or firewood (UNDP Climate, 2023). The vast majority of these victims are women.

Moreover, gathering these toxic fuels can take up to 18 hours per week, time that could be spent on education, leisure, paid work, or simply rest.

Access to affordable, clean electricity is essential to improving their situation.

Concrete initiatives that change lives

India: solar-powered economic independence

In Jharkhand, India, the installation of solar stations has enabled many women to start producing protective masks and sanitary pads. Thanks to sewing machines powered by affordable electricity, they have been able to scale their production and gain financial independence.

Public lighting: a game changer for women's safety

Installing reliable and quality public lighting can also transform the lives of countless women. In poorly lit neighborhoods, many women avoid going out at night due to safety concerns. By improving urban lighting, they can move around freely, work, and maintain a social life—helping to promote gender equality.

The Fondation Nexans: powering women’s progress

The Fondation Nexans actively develops electrification projects to promote gender equality. By funding initiatives and supporting the installation of affordable electricity solutions, the Fondation contributes to positive societal change—such as in Senegal.

EGALES Project: from household work to entrepreneurship

One of the best examples is the EGALES project, led by the Fondation Énergies pour le Monde (Fondem).

Launched in 2018, this initiative aims to empower rural women’s groups (GFRs) in Casamance, Senegal, by providing them with the resources to develop agricultural businesses. Initially, these women faced multiple obstacles:

• Limited access to electricity and water
• Lack of arable land
• Insufficient technical knowledge of farming

Thanks to Fondem’s leadership and the Fondation Nexans’s support, EGALES became a success. Solar-powered irrigation systems were installed, providing a sustainable and autonomous solution. This innovation enabled women to focus on learning advanced farming techniques, resulting in better harvests and financial stability.

The project stands as a model for replication in other regions with similar challenges, showcasing the transformative power of electrification.

Empowering young girls in Côte d’Ivoire

In Côte d’Ivoire, the association Posodev has enabled 60 out-of-school young girls to resume their studies, facilitating their access to the job market and improving their professional and economic integration.

In Katiola, a city in the Hambol region in central Côte d’Ivoire, the situation of young girls was concerning. Each year, dozens of them left the school system without diplomas due to external constraints, such as managing a household or lacking financial support to continue their education.

To improve this situation, the association POSODEV built the Maison d’animation et d’appui à l’autonomisation des jeunes Katiolaises" (M3AK)  - House for Support and Empowerment of Young Women in Katiola. This center, dedicated to training out-of-school young women in Katiola, has already helped train nearly 125 young women since 2023.

To ensure the quality of education and care for the environment, the Nexans Foundation contributed to the installation of solar panels, making the buildings self-sufficient in electricity. It also financed solar-powered electricity access for ten homes of disadvantaged families, enabling them to develop income-generating activities.

With electricity now available, the center benefits from IT equipment and high-quality materials for training in catering and sewing. To promote the future independence of young women in training, the curriculum also includes courses in economics, finance, and entrepreneurship.

This Ivorian project is yet another example of the importance of electrification in the process of empowering women, particularly in Africa.

Electricity: More than just light— a driver of freedom and opportunity

Access to affordable and reliable energy is a universal issue, but its impact is particularly crucial for women and girls, who are often the most vulnerable.

By supporting electrification projects, the Nexans Foundation contributes to women’s empowerment and the reduction of gender inequalities.

Because electricity is more than just light—it is a catalyst for freedom, education, and new opportunities.