The Policy Practice, in partnership with the Thinking and Working Politically Community of Practice, ODI Global, the International Institute for Sustainable Development and ENERGIA, the international network on gender and sustainable energy, organised a webinar series looking at different aspects of the energy transition from a political economy perspective. 

On 5 March 2026, ENERGIA hosted the third webinar which discussed the changes in the political priorities of development partners regarding gender and social inclusion (GESI) and the strategies that practitioners have used.

Integrating GESI into the global energy transition is currently facing significant political and financial headwinds. Despite ongoing rhetoric, development funding is tightening, and critical areas that disproportionately affect women—such as clean cooking and last-mile energy access—remain severely underfunded compared to broader electrification efforts. Furthermore, an increasing reliance on market-based financing often bypasses women-led local businesses and vulnerable communities. Against a backdrop of shifting geopolitics and rising resistance to gender-focused terminology, advocates are sometimes forced to reframe their work purely around economic participation, which risks ignoring the deeper structural inequalities that must be addressed.

To ensure gender equality remains a lasting priority, practitioners are finding strategic ways to navigate these complex political realities. Real-world experiences from countries like Kenya, Nepal, and Nigeria highlight the importance of speaking the energy sector’s language—translating social inclusion into technical and economic terms, such as system reliability and tariff reform, to gain traction in male-dominated institutions. Building durable progress also means capitalising on key policy windows, identifying internal champions, and forming broad coalitions across civil society and government. Ultimately, creating truly transformative change requires treating energy access not merely as a market service, but as a fundamental public good and human right.

For more insights into how practitioners are successfully championing inclusion in the energy transition, the full webinar summary is here.