A gender audit – can be an empowering exercise. The immediate goal is to understand how the company’s current operations are contributing to – or impeding – gender equality. But, used well, it should also serve to unify management and employees around a shared vision and process towards achieving greater gender equality in the workplace.

This brief presents the experience and lessons learned from two different market systems development (MSD) programs, Elan in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Women IN Business (WIN) in Mozambique. These programs implemented gender audits as part of a broader strategy to advance gender equality and women’s economic empowerment with partner renewable energy companies – Altech (DRC) and ENGIE Energy Access Mozambique (formerly Fenix International).  It is intended for business managers and development practitioners interested in advancing sustainable, private-sector-led approaches to gender equality, social inclusion, and women’s economic empowerment.