Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, 9 June 2023 – Twenty-four National Ozone Officers (NOOs) and National Refrigeration and Air-conditioning (RAC) experts from 13 African Francophone countries - Benin, Burundi, Chad, Cabo Verde, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, and Togo, (3 female, 21 male) participated in a thematic workshop on Kigali Implementation Plans (KIP) preparation held in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire from 22 to 23 May 2023. UNEP OzonAction Compliance Assistance Programme team in Africa organized the workshop in collaboration with Côte d’Ivoire’s Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development.
In his opening statement, Mr. Yamar Guisse, UNEP Montreal Protocol Regional Coordinator for Francophone Africa welcomed participants and expressed his gratitude to the Government of Cote d’Ivoire for hosting the workshop. Mrs. Odile Kouassi, Assistant Ozone Officer, National Ozone Unit, Cote d'Ivoire, and representing the Minister of the Environment and Sustainable Development also welcomed participants and thanked them for their effective presence at the workshop. She also noted the good collaboration between the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development and UNEP and stated that the Government of Cote d’Ivoire has always considered the protection of the ozone layer as a priority in their political choices.
The workshop aimed at orienting and building the capacity of NOOs and RAC experts in Francophone Africa consisted of presentations and interactive discussions mainly on the KIP guidelines, the necessary information for KIP preparation, the KIP preparation kit, and the structure and content of the draft document.
At the end of the two-day workshop, the NOOs and the RAC experts expressed gratitude for the training, the exchange of expertise, information sharing, capacity building to collect data, the utility of OzonAction tools, and the design of KIP projects.
Back-to-back with the NOOs and the RAC Experts’ workshop was the First Regional Female RAC Technicians training in Francophone Africa which was well attended by 24 RAC female technicians from 19 countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Sao Tome & Principe, and Senegal. The workshop also held in Abidjan from 24 to 26 May 2023 and organised by UNEP OzonAction under the Montreal Protocol’s Multilateral Fund, provided an interactive forum for female RAC technicians to learn, update and share their skills and experience, extend their network, and support gender enhancement in the RAC sector in their respective countries.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Mohamed Atani, Head of UNEP West Africa Office in Abidjan, recalled the importance of gender matters for UNEP and stated that the RAC sector is essential nowadays for the comfort of our homes and offices, the preservation of our food and our vaccines, aeronautics, and many more amenities. He stated that this first ever training workshop for female RAC technicians in the region is a capacity building exercise to improve and reflect gender considerations in the RAC sector in Francophone Africa and encourage more female technicians to engage in this sector.
Mr. Kodehi Gnahore, Chief of Staff, Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development and representing the Minister said that women are largely under-represented in the RAC field even though they have the potential to contribute significantly to the RAC sector and by extension the protection of the environment.
The female technicians shared the following similar obstacles faced in their daily life, as professionals in the RAC sector:
- The perception that a technician in the RAC sector is still a male-dominated profession and the same is perceived within the family circle. Some participants related how at first, they were employed to clean fridges or cars to prepare them for repairs. It took a while before they were allowed to practice their skills.
- The lack of incentives or equipment for women to start practicing due to social constraints in contrast to male colleagues who can work in other small jobs with basic equipment.
- The lack of recognition of their skills and competence as women. Some clients are reluctant when a female RAC technician is sent for assessment, repair work, and installation of their equipment. A similar reaction occurs when female technicians welcome clients at workshops.
- The difficulty of combining domestic obligations and social events for women (i.e., marriage, childbirth) with professional life.
- The lack of networks and mentoring for women in the RAC sector.
- The lack of career growth opportunities for women in the RAC sector.
The workshop consisted of presentations, discussions, and practical demonstrations in which the female technicians were actively engaged, enthusiastic, and participative. It also provided the female technicians an opportunity to be updated on technology development, gender mainstreaming in the RAC sector, and to undertake a hands-on training session at the Centre of Excellence.
At the end of the three-day workshop, the female technicians gave a summary of what they had learned from the training:
- Acquired new skills in the RAC sector.
- Understood the linkages between the Refrigeration Servicing Sector and Ozone Layer protection.
- Networked and shared experiences with other participants.
- Felt valued and listened to.
UNEP OzonAction also organised the First Regional Female RAC Technicians training in Anglophone Africa in Cairo, Egypt in January 2023.
For more information:
Yamar Guisse
Montreal Protocol Regional Coordinator, Francophone Africa
UNEP OzonAction
Moussa Barry
Programme Management Officer, Francophone Africa
UNEP OzonAction
