Panasonic HD Collaborates with JICA to Donate Solar Lanterns to Areas Without Electricity in Kenya—Supporting the Education, Health and Income Improvement Opportunities of Women and Girls

Osaka, Japan – November 19, 2024 – Panasonic Holdings Corporation (hereinafter referred to as Panasonic HD), in cooperation with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (hereinafter referred to as JICA), has donated 100 Panasonic solar lanterns to women and girls living in an area without electricity in Orinie Village in Kajiado County in southwestern Kenya. This donation was conducted through the National Gender and Equality Commission (hereinafter referred to as NGEC), an organization of the Kenyan government. The donation this time was made possible by a donation campaign run by Panasonic HD for its employees around the world. The light from the solar lanterns enables women and girls to safely move about and engage in activities, and also supports their participation in learning, economic and social activities at nighttime. Another aim for the lanterns is to help eliminate gender-based violence (GBV)* by encouraging women and girls to become more independent and developing their self-confidence.

Comment from a female leader in Orinie Village, Kajiado County, Kenya:
The solar lanterns offer great hope to women and girls who have previously been restricted in their social activities and daily life. These women are trying to fight GBV and become independent. The lanterns mean that they can also study at home, and are able to perform work at night at home to improve their income. The event today has been a symbolic moment for the elimination of GBV. I want to express my sincere gratitude.

Comment from Makiko Kubota of JICA, which is working to eliminate GBV in Kenya:
The provision of the solar lanterns will illuminate the future of the women and girls and contribute significantly to the realization of a safer community. My hope is that the women who receive the lanterns will have hope for themselves and for the future, and will be empowered to face up to the GBV that is rife in the village.

Naoyuki Tada, who is promoting the LIGHT UP THE FUTURE project, explained the activities as follows.
This was the first time that we have cooperated with JICA in the donation of solar lanterns. It was also a great honor to be able to work with the Kenyan government organization NGEC, which enabled us to utilize our respective strengths to contribute to the solution of GBV issues. November 25 is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, a time when attention is being focused on GBV around the world. By publicizing our activities, we hope that we can also raise the interest of people around the world in the issue and play even just a small part in the solution of the problem.

Going forward, Panasonic HD will continue to work with a wide range of partners to help create a sustainable society that is free from poverty by delivering the light from solar lanterns to areas without electricity, to create opportunities for education, health, and income enhancement.

* Gender-Based Violence (GBV)
This refers to the violence perpetrated against the backdrop of unequal power relations and fixed gender roles and gender norms that are constructed socioculturally as “femininity” and “masculinity.” It includes domestic and sexual violence and also child marriage and female genital mutilation, online sexual harassment and human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. It is estimated that the damage and loss to the global economy caused by GBV is equivalent to 1.2% to 3.7% of a country’s GDP when all aspects such as the increase in medical and legal costs and the decrease in women’s labor productivity are taken into account. (World Bank, 2018 Gender-Based Violence, https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/socialsustainability/brief/violence-against-women-and-girls)  

Since 2013, Panasonic HD has been involved in activities to bring “light” to areas that do not have electricity, where that lack of light and electricity is making it impossible to escape poverty. Since 2021, the activities have been developed under the name “LIGHT UP THE FUTURE,” which is a project to illuminate the future of areas without electricity. To date, Panasonic HD has cooperated with various partners such as NGOs, NPOs, and international organizations and has delivered more than 120,000 solar lanterns to people in more than 30 countries and regions.

We are also engaged in activities to make more people aware of the situation in areas that do not have electricity. Since 2018, we have collaborated with Group companies, local governments, universities, and events and have developed a variety of initiatives that employees and the general public can participate in. The donation this time was part of those efforts and was made possible by a donation campaign run by Panasonic HD within the company. In the campaign, when employees of the Panasonic Group learned about social issues online, a donation of 10 yen was given for every person participating. In total, more than 100,000 employees from 46 countries and regions around the world participated.

Since 2023, JICA has been working with the government of Kajiado County in Kenya to implement activities aiming to prevent and eliminate GBV in the village of Orinie in Kajiado County. Orinie is also known for its traditional patriarchal customs and culture, and many of the women and girls in the village face serious problems, including domestic and sexual violence from their husbands and families, and child marriage. JICA works with the county government to provide support for the development of human resources who can appropriately protect women and girls who have suffered harm and provide them with seamless support, and also supports the establishment of the system for this in the county.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is the bilateral aid agency responsible for coordinating official development assistance on behalf of the Japanese government. JICA is dedicated to supporting socio-economic development in developing countries through a diverse portfolio of projects, including those that promote gender equality. 
For more information, visit https://www.jica.go.jp/english/index.html.

The National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC) is a constitutional Commission established by the National Gender and Equality Commission Act 2010. The Commission’s mandate is to promote gender equality and freedom from discrimination for all people in Kenya with a focus on special interest groups, which include: Women, Children, Youth, Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), older members of society, minorities and marginalized groups. To learn more about the NGEC, please visit: https://www.ngeckenya.org/

Founded in 1918, and today a global leader in developing innovative technologies and solutions for wide-ranging applications in the consumer electronics, housing, automotive, industry, communications, and energy sectors worldwide, the Panasonic Group switched to an operating company system on April 1, 2022, with Panasonic Holdings Corporation serving as a holding company and eight companies positioned under its umbrella. The Group reported consolidated net sales of 8,496.4 billion yen for the year ended March 31, 2024. To learn more about the Panasonic Group, please visit: https://holdings.panasonic/global/

[JICA] Lights of Dignity and Safety for Women and Girls～ In partnership with Panasonic to eliminate gender-based violence ～
https://www.jica.go.jp/english/information/seminar/2024/202411251600.html 

Lighting the Path Out of Poverty for Off-Grid Communities
https://news.panasonic.com/global/stories/13562 

LIGHT UP THE FUTURE Project to illuminate the future of areas without electricity
https://holdings.panasonic/global/corporate/sustainability/citizenship/lutf.html