• Women remain underrepresented in technical and decision-making roles across Africa’s energy sector.

• The World Bank-backed WEN-Africa platform convened a regional meeting in Lomé from January 13 to 14, 2026.

• Participants focused on partnerships to accelerate inclusive and sustainable energy development in sub-Saharan Africa.

The Women in Energy Network-Africa (WEN-Africa) platform has held a regional meeting in Lomé since Tuesday, January 13, 2026, to identify solutions to gender inequalities in the energy sector. The event has brought together institutional and strategic partners around the theme, “Addressing Gender Inequalities in Energy: Partnerships for Sustainability.”

The conference, which ended on Wednesday, January 14, featured several panel discussions led by representatives of partner institutions and major energy sector stakeholders from African countries. These discussions aimed to present the mission, objectives, and achievements of WEN-Africa, a World Bank-led initiative, while also sharing partners’ experiences.

Participants also reviewed the benefits of joining the platform, existing best practices, and the impact of collaborative efforts in reducing gender inequalities in sub-Saharan Africa’s energy sector.

Notable attendees included Kwawu Gaba, World Bank Energy Sector Director, and Robert Koffi Messan Eklo, Togo’s Minister Delegate in charge of Energy and Mineral Resources.

For the World Bank official, “this initiative provides a platform to amplify women’s voices in energy policy, planning, and operations, to strengthen technical and leadership capacities among sector professionals, and to foster partnerships that accelerate inclusive and sustainable energy development.” The platform aims to promote the empowerment of women and young people so they can use energy to develop economic activities, strengthen education, improve health outcomes, and drive innovation within their communities.

Meanwhile, Togo’s energy minister welcomed the Lomé meeting as a significant step toward greater equality in the sector. “By coming together here in Lomé, we are taking a collective step to ensure that Africa’s energy transition is not only clean and resilient, but also inclusive and fully recognizes the role of women,” he said.

The World Bank launched the WEN-Africa platform in February 2024 to increase women’s participation and employment in Africa’s energy sector, in partnership with several international institutions.

Esaïe Edoh