Public-Private Partnership and sustainable development: Gender mainstreaming of sustainable energy in South African regions

The paper examines the effect of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) on sustainable energy development in South Africa with a critical focus on gender equity. It singles out continuing gender differences in the access and inclusion of energy, particularly in rural and peri-urban areas, with women being the victims of energy poverty and health hazards due to inefficient energy supply. Albeit setting up considerable investments in the renewable energy infrastructure, PPPs have a tendency to marginalize women-owned enterprises, which is caused by structural, financial, and socio-cultural factors. The research proposes systemic gender mainstreaming in PPP project cycles through an extensive overview pegged on feminist political ecology, social inclusion, and sustainable development theories. It focuses on gender responsive needs assessment, inclusive procurement and financing, governance representation and monitoring of impacts. Local inequalities show that there is a necessity to decentralize energy resources that would enable women on an economic level. It is also recommended that women be boosted in their energy governance capacity, and there should be a multi-stakeholder cooperation and gender-sensitive performance indicators that will ensure equal, inclusive, and empowering energy transitions in South Africa.