Abstract
This article argues that public-private partnerships (PPPs) as a vehicle for financing public infrastructure are antithetical to long-term social development, including women’s rights and gender equality, because of their profit-oriented focus. A case study of Addax Bioenergy Sierra Leone (ABSL) illustrates this point. ABSL is a partnership between the Sierra Leonean government and a private sector entity to expand the country’s electricity supply using cane bagasse from ethanol distilling.The project’s objectives were short-lived due to several factors, including the project funders’ lack of transparency and accountability. At the community level, ABSL’s land acquisition, labour, and production practices reinforced gender-based discrimination and affected women’s rights to resources and livelihoods.
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