AAU and JustGESI Researcher Advocates for GESI Integration in Ethiopia’s Clean Cooking Policy Dialogue

Photo Credit: Golero

On August 26, 2025, Dr Getachew Bekele, Co-Investigator for the JustGESI project and a representative of Addis Ababa University (AAU), presented at the ‘GESI and Clean Cooking Policy Dialogue’ workshop, organised by SNV and the Gender and Energy Technical Working Group (GE-TWG) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Dr Bekele, an Associate Professor at AAU’s School of Electrical & Computer Engineering, highlighted the university’s research initiatives and emphasised the importance of integrating Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) into clean cooking and energy policies.

Dr Bekele described GESI as a critical approach for ensuring that energy interventions actively promote equal opportunities for women, youth, persons with disabilities, and other marginalised groups. He argued that addressing ‘often-hidden drivers of inequality’ is essential for catalysing structural transformation toward an inclusive and equitable energy transition in Africa.

Photo Credit: SNV

Framing clean cooking as a key developmental issue intersecting with multiple Sustainable Development Goals, Dr Bekele underscored the need for policies that expand access to modern cooking solutions to reduce health risks, environmental degradation, and the disproportionate social burdens borne by women. His discussion drew on theoretical frameworks such as energy justice, gender and development, and the capability approach.

Dr Bekele concluded by stressing that effective policies must incorporate rigorous monitoring of both outputs and outcomes to ensure genuine equity and empowerment.

The event was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Water and Energy, Ministry of Planning and Development, Ethiopian Women in Energy Network, Ethiopian Clean Cooking Alliance, among others. The dialogue marked an important step toward embedding GESI in Ethiopia’s clean energy policies.