NAWAD implemented an 18-month project on “Enhancing women’s involvement in briquette production and marketing as an alternative clean energy source to charcoal and firewood in Uganda.” The project was supported by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) through the Aspen Network for Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE). The project targeted four female-owned briquette enterprises in the districts of Mpigi, Wakiso and Mukono in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area (GKMA).  The overarching goal of this research was to improve women participation in clean energy production and marketing through the deployment of gender-inclusive briquette infrastructure to increase availability and access to briquettes for cooking. This was very critical for Uganda’s clean energy transition since the current briquette technology is intensive labor, which is disadvantageous to the women. The research answered the question of “How can women’s involvement in the briquette value chain be harnessed to reduce gender bias and increase their participation and pay in the sector?” The project addressed this question through the deployment of gender-inclusive briquette infrastructure targeting women-owned enterprises in the Greater Kampala metropolitan area (GKMA).

The main objective was to design and deploy gender-inclusive briquette machinery to promote women’s participation in the clean energy transition. The specific objectives were: Assess women’s involvement in the briquette value chain; Characterize potential alternative raw materials to charcoal dust with the intent to recommend the most potential alternatives for briquette production; Promote women’s participation in briquette production through the deployment of gender-inclusive briquette infrastructure; Strengthen the capacity of briquette enterprises on the use of gender inclusive machinery and marketing of briquettes for increased competitiveness.

It involved the design and deployment of gender-inclusive briquette machinery, stove manufacturing, and capacity building of briquette machinery users with a focus on briquette production, briquette drying, and marketing.