As the sun rises over the hills of Kigali, taxi driver Imigambi Jouyese powers up her bright red electric motorcycle. The 34-year-old mother of four will spend the next several hours ferrying passengers across the Rwandan capital on the bike, which is near-silent and has no tailpipe emissions.
Jouyese, who bought the bike through a project supported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), is a rare sight in Rwanda, where just 4 per cent of the countrys transport workers are women.
[The bike is] quiet, economical and much cheaper than fuel-powered bikes, says Jouyese, who was unemployed for seven months before becoming a taxi driver. And knowing that Im helping reduce carbon emissions makes me proud to ride this bike.
Jouyese is one of a growing number of women from around the world who have found work in the fast-growing electric transport sector thanks to an innovative project supported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The European Union funded effort, called SolutionsPlus, has helped at nine cities from Kigali to Quito, Ecuador speed the rollout of electric vehicles. Many of these pilot projects which backers call living labs have emphasized the importance of creating economic opportunities for women.
That has helped put drivers like Jouyese at the forefront of the electric vehicle movement, which experts say could reshape urban mobility across the Global South and rein in the greenhouse gas emissions propelling climate change.
Sustainable mobility is about reducing emissions, yes, says Rob de Jong, Head of UNEPs Sustainable Mobility Unit. But its also about creating opportunities, empowering communities and reimagining our cities.
There are an estimated 570 million two- and three-wheelers on the road in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Most of these vehicles have internal combustion engines. They consume up to 20 per cent of all liquid petroleum fuels used for transport in countries outside the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, making them a major source of air pollution and climate-altering greenhouse gases.
But in some places, the tide is starting to turn towards electric vehicles.
In Quitos historic centre, a fleet of electric delivery vehicles including bikes, mini-vans, and quadricycles are ferrying packages as part of a SolutionsPlus project. The vehicles have transported some 300 tonnes of goods, preventing the release of 6.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide and advancing the citys goal of reaching zero emissions.
The pilot project trained and licensed women drivers through partnerships with local logistics companies, such as Grupo Entregas, a Fedex licensee that reduced its carbon footprint by 10 per cent.
We are convinced that changing the mobility business model is necessary and urgent, says Maria Paulina Romo, president of Grupo Entregas.
Meanwhile, startups in Argentina and Colombia are developing environmentally friendly transport options, including for residents with disabilities, with support from SolutionsPlus. Montevideo, Uruguay, now boasts a network of charging stations supporting the growing number of electric vehicles navigating its streets.
In Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, 43 electric three-wheelers and 16 pedal-assist bicycles were introduced, and 45 people were trained in assembly and repairs.
In Hanoi, Viet Nam, SolutionsPlus helped introduce 50 electric mopeds and train 150 drivers nearly half of them women. Diesel buses were converted into electric vehicles in Kathmandu, Nepal. Meanwhile, in Pasig, Philippines, electric four-wheelers, known as quadricycles, now deliver the mail and collect rubbish.
With projects like SolutionsPlus we are not just introducing and testing new technologies. Were cultivating entire ecosystems to support a shift to sustainable mobility, says UNEPs De Jong.
Perhaps the most dramatic transformation is taking place in Rwanda. With support from UNEP, Kigali, home to 1.7 million people, has created an electric vehicle charging framework, introduced a bicycle-sharing network, and rolled out a fleet of electric buses. It has focused on creating economic opportunities for people living in poverty and women.
That work culminated recently in a precedent-setting decision: in January 2025, Kigali halted the registration of petrol motorcycles for public transport, allowing only electric motorbikes.
That is music to the ears of Nsanzingoma Marie Josie, 30. A single mother and former cook, she became an electric motorcycle taxi driver after taking a course offered through SolutionsPlus partner Ampersand.
After paying off her vehicle through a rent-to-own program, she plans to start her own delivery company that uses electric motorcycles.
SolutionsPlus is an 18-million-euro project orchestrated by the Urban Electric Mobility Initiative. It is funded by the European Union and the Global Environment Facility. It is concluding following a nearly five-year journey.
The lessons learned here will be invaluable in shaping a cleaner, zero-carbon and more inclusive urban transport landscape for the future, says UNEPs De Jong.
UNEPs Global Electric Mobility Program supports over 60 countries in the Global South with US$130 million in grants to transition away from fossil fuels in the transportation sector.
