GGrameen Technology Centers Contributing to Women Empowerment

Grameen Shakti has undertaken a program to set up 30 Grameen Technology Centers (GTCs) in order to scale up its solar program, especially production of solar home system (SHSs) accessories by manufacturing these locally. GTCs will also contribute to women's empowerment by training them in solar energy technology applications. The trained women will become GS certified technicians. GS will help these technicians to sign annual contracts with its clients for after sales maintenance and become entrepreneurs in the future.

Nearly 20 thousand people each year are installing SHSs all over Bangladesh for business or household use. GS alone plans to install 100,000 SHSs by 2007 and a million SHSs by 2015. GS envisages a future where there would be a huge demand for SHS accessories as well as maintenance services to keep the SHSs in working order.

GS plans to use the GTCs to meet the projected demand for repair/maintenance services and SHS accessories at affordable costs. The planned GTCs will train a minimum of 1000 women technicians and use them to produce the accessories. They will also strengthen and expand the back-up services in the local communities. GS will also use the GTCs to train 50,000 women members from user households for repair and maintenance of SHSs. GS feels they will be better able to look after SHSs because in Bangladesh, women are responsible for managing nearly all household activities..