The nationwide power outages that have crippled South Africa's economy over the past 16 years have had a profoundly negative impact on women’s safety, labor-market prospects, and well-being. To ensure equitable outcomes, policymakers must adopt a fairer strategy for conserving electricity.
JOHANNESBURG – For the past 16 years, South Africa has grappled with an acute energy crisis characterized by rolling blackouts, some lasting as long as 15 hours a day. In February, President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a national “state of disaster” and announced a bailout of the state-owned electricity company, Eskom. But the government’s failure to maintain a stable power supply has already had a profoundly negative impact on South Africans’ daily lives, especially on the lives of women and girls.
JOHANNESBURG – For the past 16 years, South Africa has grappled with an acute energy crisis characterized by rolling blackouts, some lasting as long as 15 hours a day. In February, President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a national “state of disaster” and announced a bailout of the state-owned electricity company, Eskom. But the government’s failure to maintain a stable power supply has already had a profoundly negative impact on South Africans’ daily lives, especially on the lives of women and girls.