Jessica Rakotoarisoa

My name is Jessica Rakotoarisoa, I am originally from Madagascar but based in Canada. I am a former International Youth Climate Delegate at COP28 and currently finishing my Ph.D in social communication at the University of Quebec in Trois-Rivières.

After obtaining my master’s degree in communication in Madagascar in 2012, I started a project that trains women from disadvantaged communities to manufacture bags with solar technology. Through this project, I raised awareness about climate crisis, specifically on how small sustainable energy projects can contribute to the energy transition and empower vulnerable communities mainly women from rural areas. In 2016, I joined UNICEF Madagascar as a Communication for Development Officer (C4D). During this time, I acquired skills in establishing policies in favor of women and children. My job was to understand the communication needs of beneficiaries in terms of essential family practices, and to support health, hygiene and nutrition programs in the implementation of their interventions. 

As a doctoral researcher, My interests focus women political participation in debates and decision-making processes related climate change and energy transition, as well as energy projects with high socio-environmental impacts on women and girls. I examine more closely their advocacy strategies and collective actions which 1) Would influence social debates related to energy transition and projects with high socio-environmental impact and 2) would represent vulnerable groups that are affected by ecological inequalities. In my thesis, my first plan is to recommend advocacy strategies to help ecofeminist organizations position and participate in the debates related to energy transition. Secondly, I would like to highlight and encourage future debates on the intersection between gender, energy transition and women & girls health. My research aims to document the contribution of feminist organizations in those debates; and to encourage the implementation of a just energy transition which should consider in particular a sustainable infrastructure and protection services regarding women and girls health. 

Alongside my thesis, I work as a student researcher at the Hydrogen Research Institute for projects related to the communication, social acceptability around green hydrogen use, but also the social acceptability of the energy transition in the agricultural and transport sectors. In my work, I advocate the integration of social aspects into project feasibility studies and execution. My focus is currently on studying the implementation of projects in terms of their socio-environmental benefits in a contextual way, and on the use of communication strategies to promote and realize these benefits among different stakeholders.