Geda Ghana aims to build greater awareness among governments and the international community about the importance of gender issues in energy planning and policies. In addition, Geda Ghana aims to reflect this awareness in new and concrete commitments and actions by governments and other development actors to mainstream gender considerations into energy decision making.
Geda objectives include training and organizing women to become energy technicians to operate and maintain equipment, use developed technologies to create sustainable rural industries, reach out and undertake policy advocacy, create awareness, train and network with other organizations in the energy sector. Also, Geda works to link women with international agencies to improve themselves economically and technically.
Contact Information
Geda Ghana has networked with many organizations and government and donated or sponsored improved energy resources projects such as: improved stoves, improved fish smokers, coalpots and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), solar energy stoves, jatropha oil extraction, etc, to women to help eliminate the negative effects of smoke, drudgery, respiratory diseases and strong heat that affect women's health and body. Geda has undertaken pilot demonstration units to develop marketable and appropriate energy-efficient, gender-sensitive technologies. Women entrepreneurs have been helped to build confidence and improve their marketing strategies through training.
Our Experience And Interest In The Four PCIA Central Focus Areas
Members of Geda, Ghana undertake sensitization and educational fora, with other gender networks in Ghana to aimed at creating awareness and motivating and encouraging men in particular, government and public policy to be involved issues of energy that affect women. Many cultural taboos, such as men not providing budgets for household energy use are discussed, in addition to demonstrations of improved energy technologies that help alleviate problems associated with cooking to provide knowledge on the benefits of using them.
Research has been conducted by members of Geda Ghana, to find out the most appropriate improved cooking technologies women prefer in conducting their small businesses of fish smoking and frying, sale of cooked food, oil extraction, sheabutter production, etc. Micro-credit organizations have been consulted to help provide credit to enable women to purchase, maintain and use improved cooking technologies to eliminate smoke and other problems associated with using biomass. Energy sector organizations have produced many improved cooking technologies, using solar, renewable energy and jatropha oils.
Geda seeks to collaborate with Partner organizations involved in technology standardization that would encourage the use of standard and appropriate improved cooking technologies and resources. Geda would need members with expertise in this field to assist and train members here.
Members have monitored and researched the use of improved cooking technologies on women and how best to improved upon them. Geda has collaborated with organizations involved in the manufacture of these technologies and resources to update and produce new equipment beneficial and appropriate to women.
Relevant Publications or Studies
Geda has set up a committee to publish papers and best practices from members and also to contribute to leading energy and environment publics in international publications.
Our Contribution to the Partnership
Geda Ghana would like to share experiences and stories on the impact of improved cooking technologies to members of the Partnership at conferences, training sessions for women and to invite others in the partnership to share skills, research findings and other projects that would be beneficial to Geda and the Ghana as a whole.
