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INTRODUCTION
In Aden Governorate, electricity is not just a utility, it is a lifeline. The city’s collapsing power infrastructure has become a daily emergency, especially for women and girls. Blackouts lasting up to 20 hours per day, coupled with extreme climateinduced heat surpassing 40°C, are not only disrupting essential services but also driving a rise in gender-based violence (GBV) and deepening existing inequalities. For women and girls, these compounded crises have turned routine tasks into health risks and made accessing protection services nearly impossible.
As of June 2025, Aden’s power grid delivers less than four hours of electricity per day, with 85% of neighborhoods experiencing 18–20-hour blackouts (OCHA, 2025). The resulting energy insecurity directly undermines the operation of women and girls safe spaces (WGSS), which serve as key entry points for case management, psychosocial support, referrals, and economic empowerment activities for women and girls. While some centers use solar power, many systems are underpowered, poorly maintained, broken, or unable to meet full operational needs. As a result, vital services are delayed, disrupted, or canceled altogether.
In response to the rising temperatures in the face of recurrent power outages, many WGSS have shifted their hours to early mornings. This adaptation has created an unintentional limited access, particularly for displaced women, caregivers, and those living far from service sites. Walking long distances in extreme heat without access to water, shade, or safe and affordable transport exposes women and girls to serious protection risks, isolation, and psychological stress.