MSc. in Climate Change, Development and Policy 'Sustainable Energy for All Policy and Women Capacity Development in a Changing Climate' Tanzania's SEforAll policy analysis implementation against the Barefoot College case study (Zanzibar)

MSc Thesis Executive Summary - Abstract This MSc thesis by Ann Grace Apiita, submitted to the School of Global Studies in partnership with Institute of Development Studies (IDS) & Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU)| University of Sussex, UK, examines 'Sustainable Energy for All Policy and Women Capacity Development in a Changing Climate'.  This thesis interrogates a fundamental policy paradox: why does the UN Sustainable Energy for All (SEforAll) framework, despite explicitly prioritizing women's empowerment, fail to translate this commitment into capacity development for rural women most affected by energy poverty?    The study uses a discourse analysis (of gender-transformative energy transitions), employing Foucauldian power frameworks and feminist policy analysis of Tanzania's SEforAll implementation against the Barefoot College case study (Zanzibar) fieldwork. Findings contribute to debates on sustainable energy and inclusive development: From the launch of the SEforAll in 2011, (during the term of the former United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon) until 2017, technology scaling outpaces systemic capacity building for marginalized communities. Core research findings reveal that participatory capacity development (which eliminates gender inequalities and proves more transformative than technology access alone) is crucial in the effective achievement of the SEforALL by 2030.  Abstract (Brief) Purpose Energy affects the socio-economic, political and environmental foundations of sustainable development upon which humanity depends. Therefore, lack of energy affects both women and men differently, although women in developing countries suffer adversely. The energy space received unprecedented levels of recognition as the driving force for global development during the term of the former United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, which led to the launch of the Sustainable Energy for All – SEforAll 2030 agenda in 2011. Despite the growing recognition in policy about women’s role in the energy dimension, scaling up capacity building initiatives for women in rural communities is fundamental. The research objective is to study how the SEforAll policy can be effectively achieved by 2030 through developing capacities of women from rural communities to address energy poverty and all forms of gender disparities. This research intends to complement existing limited research on mainstreaming capacity development initiatives for women through gendered energy policies. Core Finding Energy policy effectiveness depends on reflexivity whereby the formal and informal political societies are capacitated to engage in feedback loops that reshape implementation. Without this, policies reproduce existing power imbalances despite ambitious stated objectives.   Capacity development for the informal political society dominated by women indeed has a great impact in achieving SEforAll rather than separately scaling energy technologies, income or increasing markets in rural communities. Therefore, achieving SEforAll is about supporting humanity to BE more and not HAVE more. Thesis Relevance This thesis exemplifies the interdisciplinary, systems-level thinking. It bridges transition studies (how energy systems transform), economic geography (context-specific outcomes), and gender analysis (who benefits from transitions). It analyzes not just what happens, but why transitions produce unequal outcomes and how justice-centered alternatives emerge. This open-access version is deposited to support transparency.