Bridging the Gender Gap in Skilled Trades. Empowering Women and Youth in Northern Uganda through Sustainable Solar Apprenticeship Programs

Abstract

Northern Uganda continues to experience pronounced gender disparities within the renewable-energy sector, reflected most visibly with the very small number of women working as solar technicians. This underrepresentation highlights how structural, cultural and institutional barriers still limit women’s entry into and hinder their progression within technical roles in the region.

In addition, Northern Uganda continues to grapple with widespread youth unemployment and significant energy deficits, challenges that are especially predominant in rural communities. These intersecting pressures limit economic opportunities, slow social development and constrain the region’s ability play a substantive role in Uganda’s growing renewable-energy economy.

Despite increasing demand for off-grid solar solutions across households, health facilities, agribusinesses and small enterprises, skilled decentralized energy service providers like solar technicians still remains low hence the relevant need to tackle both the technical skills gap and challenge the structural barriers that limit women’s participation in the energy sector.

This proposed one-year pilot initiative by Athena Girls Innovation Compound aims to challenge the epistemic positionalities that have historically excluded women from technical domains. In parallel, the intervention will reduce high rates of unemployment, increase access to renewable energy solutions like solar energy and reduce the gender disparity between men and women in the renewable energy sector.

The intervention is anchored in a gender responsive training approach using a two-pronged capacity-building model that links Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions with Solar Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SME). The apprenticeship training methodology will expose participants to theoretical and practical aspects of training on solar installation, maintenance and troubleshooting that will subsequently support climate smart agricultural practices, increase employable skills among the women and youth as well as avail mentored opportunities for business developments in the local community.

This integrated model will ensure graduates are not only technically competent but also capable of starting and sustaining a viable clean energy enterprise in the solar sector. By encouraging more female participation, the project aims to reduce gender inequalities in the renewable energy space and increase women’s economic empowerment hence improved livelihood and inclusive growth in our community.

Fundamentally, the initiative aligns with national development priorities on gender equality, renewable energy access expansion, youth employment and inclusive economic growth in Northern Uganda.