TITLE:
Energy Supply as a Catalyst for Sierra Leonean Women’s Economic Empowerment
AUTHORS:
Alphaeus Koroma
KEYWORDS:
Energy Supply, Women’s Economic Empowerment, Gender Roles, Household Income, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.13 No.12,
December
10,
2025
ABSTRACT: This paper analyses the nexus between energy supply and women’s economic empowerment in Sierra Leone. Energy supply plays a critical role in the economic empowerment of Sierra Leonean women. The country is highly dependent on energy supply for economic growth. Sierra Leone faces a long-standing challenge regarding energy supply, particularly with electricity supply, which has crippled the economic growth of the country and, in particular, the economic empowerment of women, whose traditional gender roles are contingent on energy supply. The lack of energy supply has affected health, educational development, and other social structures. Past and present governments have not paid attention to this issue, mainly because of a gender-blind policy approach in the energy sector. The method used to collect data is based on a desk review of available literature. Data were obtained mainly through web searches. The aim of this paper is to assess qualitative data from women and energy use in the country, by reviewing documents from the Ministry of Energy and energy projects implemented in the country, as well as policy documents and other research work on energy in Sierra Leone. The paper argues that effective integration of the gender dimension in the sector is crucial for the implementation of SDG 7 to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. The paper further argues that sustainable energy can create opportunities not just for women but for men and other vulnerable groups in the country. Findings indicate that there is a lack of recognition of the critical role women play in household income generation through their small and medium scale enterprises by the use of energy in the country; however, because of the patriarchal nature of Sierra Leonean society, women are rarely considered in energy governance across the country.