NAWAD and Makerere University are implementing an 18-month initiative to expand women’s leadership and technical participation in Uganda’s briquette value chain.

Briquettes offer a cleaner alternative to charcoal and firewood, but women have often been excluded from production because equipment is heavy, fully manual, and designed for physically intensive work. This project tackles that constraint directly by introducing gender-inclusive briquette technology: semi-automated, dual-power machines that can run on electricity or solar and can be operated comfortably by women.

Technology is only one piece of the model. The project is also installing briquette dryers, providing tools and training to produce customized 2-in-1 briquette stoves, and strengthening enterprise support systems to improve production quality and market performance. In parallel, it is piloting the use of renewable raw materials for briquette production—reducing reliance on charcoal dust, which is currently the dominant input in Uganda.

Working with four enterprises in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area, the team is training women operators and supporting businesses to scale distribution—expanding access to cleaner household energy. The work is demonstrating what Uganda’s clean energy transition can look like when solutions are designed for the realities of women’s work: practical, inclusive, and powered by women’s innovation.

Women entrepreneurs remain underrepresented in Chile’s clean energy sector—even as the country has emerged as a regional leader in renewables. This applied research project responds to that gap by identifying practical best practices and testing solutions that can increase women’s participation and leadership across clean energy and the circular economy.

The research builds on evidence pointing to persistent constraints: gender stereotypes and norms that discourage women from entering male-dominated fields; limited access to financing and professional networks; a shortage of mentors; and gaps in technical and business skills. In clean energy, those barriers are often compounded by the sector’s technology and capital intensity, the scale of typical projects, the need to navigate public–private partnerships, and complex regulatory and administrative processes. (Deloitte, 2024)

At the center of the project is the creation of a Community of Practice (CoP) designed to strengthen entrepreneurship and innovation among women leading cleantech initiatives in Chile. The CoP—Fueling the Change—was established to facilitate knowledge sharing, collaboration, and mentoring, and to build a durable support system for women-led organizations working in clean technologies and circular economy solutions.

On November 25, the program certified 26 women entrepreneurs from eight regions who successfully completed the initiative. The result is more than a cohort: it is a growing national network for clean innovation with a gender lens—designed to help women-led ventures connect, learn, and scale in a sector where relationships, credibility, and technical pathways often shape who gets to lead.

Across Mexico’s diverse communities, women are often the ones making clean energy solutions work—adopting new technologies, adapting them to daily routines, and turning household decisions into lasting change. Ellas Impactan is a case study supported by ANDE and developed in collaboration with Bitácora Social, Irrazonables, Kessel, and Iluméxico. It explores how women negotiate, adapt, and ultimately lead the energy transition at the household level—from remote Rarámuri communities in the Sierra Tarahumara to dense urban neighborhoods.

A central insight is that empowerment, for these women, is not a slogan—it shows up in practical, everyday choices. As key decision-makers for many household purchases, including energy-related investments, women adopt technologies such as solar panels and solar water heaters for tangible benefits: saving time, improving safety, and freeing up hours for rest, paid work, caregiving, or community life.

The case study spotlights women like Marisepa in the Sierra Tarahumara, who serves as the organizing center of her extended family—managing budgets and coordinating care for older relatives. When a solar panel arrived, it did more than provide light. It extended the day safely past sunset, supported wellbeing, and strengthened autonomy in a context where public services are limited. In communities such as Tecoh and San Blas, women are also innovating through small businesses and flexible family networks—demonstrating that clean energy solutions stick when they solve real, local problems.

Ellas Impactan reinforces a clear takeaway for the field: innovation succeeds when technology fits lived reality. Reliable hot water, safer evenings, and opportunities for income matter most when they align with household rhythms and remain sustainable over time. Through their judgment, perseverance, and local leadership, the women featured in this study show how everyday agency can reshape energy access—and strengthen community resilience—one decision at a time.