Kleinman Energia Fellowship

Details

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Introduction

ENERGIA, the International Network on Gender and Sustainable Energy, is hosted by Hivos, a Netherlands-based international non-governmental organization (INGO). ENERGIA envisions a future where women and men have equitable access to and control over sustainable energy services, essential for development. To achieve this vision, ENERGIA supports women-led micro and small energy service businesses, provides technical assistance for energy policies and programs, advocates for gender equality in energy investment through evidence-based research, and raises awareness about gender and energy issues. ENERGIA collaborates with partners in Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Senegal to achieve its vision.

Purpose

ENERGIA is offering exciting internship opportunities for highly motivated Penn students who have experience working on energy and/or economic issues, particularly as they intersect with social development, equity, and justice. These internships are designed to provide students with a unique opportunity to apply the theoretical knowledge acquired during their academic studies to practical challenges, while also expanding their understanding of the critical connections between energy access and gender equality.

Duration of Internship

The internship will run from May to August 2026, with a time commitment of average of 20 hours per week. Working hours will be adjusted during summer months, mostly July/ August, when members of the ENERGIA team are on leave.

Duties and Tasks

Assignment: Insight Generation from Phase 7 External Evaluation Data

Background and Scope

Since 2014, ENERGIA has been running its Women’s Economic Empowerment program, supporting women-led nano and micro enterprises through business development tools, entrepreneurship training, mentorship, financial linkages, and market access, in partnership with organizations across Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria, Senegal, and Tanzania. Now in its 7th phase, the program has empowered over 19,000 women entrepreneurs in the renewable energy sector, generated more than 7,000 jobs, and extended energy access to 9.4 million people.

With the support of 60 Decibels, a leading impact measurement and insights company, ENERGIA carried out an independent assessment to evaluate the outcomes and effectiveness of its Women’s Economic Empowerment program. The assessment collected both quantitative and qualitative data through interviews with a representative sample of 1,166 women entrepreneurs across ENERGIA’s five partner countries. Raw data for each partner organization, alongside key analytical insights, were shared, providing a detailed understanding of the program’s impact and relevance.

ENERGIA now aims to conduct a deeper analysis of this raw data to uncover insights into the social and economic status of their women entrepreneurs, their decision-making power- both at household and business levels, and other key dimensions of empowerment like quality of life, community status, and respect. The goal is to generate compelling insights that can be crafted into powerful impact stories, highlighting these women’s experiences, and demonstrating the program’s effectiveness, value, and influence.

Tasks

The intern will closely work with the ENERGIA International Secretariate Team, by undertaking the following responsibilities:

• Conduct a deep-dive analysis of the raw data to uncover meaningful insights on women entrepreneurs’ social and economic status, decision-making power, business challenges, and other relevant dimensions.
• Develop visually compelling charts, infographics, and other graphics to communicate insights, in coordination with the Communications team.
• Support the development of a professional presentation highlighting key findings, for sharing with partners and stakeholders.
• Assist in developing executive summary and structuring findings so they can be seamlessly integrated into the final Phase 7 Annual Report.

Expected Deliverables

• Insight Report: A concise report highlighting quantitative insights on women entrepreneurs’ economic and social status, empowerment dimensions, and program impact.
• Data Visualizations: Visually compelling charts and infographics that clearly showcase the program’s on-ground impact.
• Executive Summary: Concise summary of key findings and insights, structured for seamless integration into the annual report
• Presentation: A professional slide deck summarizing key impactful insights for dissemination to ENERGIA partners, stakeholders, and other relevant audiences.

Additional Roles and Duties

In addition to providing analytical support for the tasks outlined above, the intern will also be expected to:

• Advocacy & Coalition Engagement: Support advocacy efforts related to the Gender and Energy Compact, co-convened by ENERGIA (International Network on Gender and Sustainable Energy), UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization), SEforALL (Sustainable Energy for All), and GWNET (Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition). This coalition comprises over 110 stakeholders, including governments, private sector organizations, academia, civil society, youth groups, and intergovernmental organizations. Together, the Compact members are committed to supporting a just and inclusive energy transition that is gender-responsive, youth-inclusive, locally led, and globally connected. In this role, the intern, through ENERGIA’s collaboration at high-level dialogues, will have the opportunity to engage directly with leading international agencies, including Compact co-convenors such as UNIDO and SEforALL, as well as other SDG 7 custodian bodies like the World Bank and IEA. The intern will play an active role in planning, coordinating, and participating in high-level sessions at key milestone events, gaining invaluable global experience and building a professional network across the international development community.
• Participation at a high-level UN Forum: Intern will attend a Gender and Energy event at the High-Level Political Forum, organized at the UN Headquarters in New York in July, gaining on-ground exposure to global policy discussions. This platform will also provide the intern with the opportunity to deliver an intervention on behalf of the Kleinman Center at a relevant side event.
• Communications & Content Development: The intern will work closely with the Communications Team to increase ENERGIA’s presence and online followers base and create ENERGIA Insights and impact content from the 60 Decibels report and raw data as well as from other sources, for dissemination across ENERGIA’s social media platforms and other platforms, ensuring clear, engaging, and impactful messaging.

End of Internship

At the end of the internship, the intern will submit a policy digest on project findings. A complete draft to be shared with ENERGIA by 1st October 2026.

Application Instructions

Applications for this fellowship must be submitted to the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy. Interested candidates should apply by submitting an online form with the following information:

• Unofficial Transcript
• Resume
• Writing sample (Applicant should be the first author and the topic does not need to be related to energy, although that is always appreciated)
• A 1-page cover letter

Application Deadline: March 6, 2026