Ghana: Women In Energy Meet For Three Days’ Confab

Ghanaian women in energy have gathered in Accra, the capital of Ghana, to deliberate on issues affecting gender equality in the energy sector and the role women can play in achieving energy transition.

The three days Women In Energy conference has attracted women in the West African nation’s public and private sector actors in both the power and petroleum sector to discuss ways and share ideas on how to increase women’s participation in the energy sector.

Under the theme: ‘Energy Transition: Prospects for Women in Energy’, the three-day conference will deliberate on topics such as ‘The Role of Women As Drivers of Change in the Energy Transition Process’, ‘Driving Women’s Readiness Towards Energy Transition and Prospects’, the Role of Internship & Mentoring in Energy Transition’, ‘Does the current Legal and Regulatory Regime Supports Energy Transition?’ Do we need new laws or amendments?’ ‘Role of women entrepreneurs in the energy transition and the Role of Women in Leadership in achieving energy transition’.

Speaking at the opening of the conference on Tuesday, Ghana’s Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei Opare noted that for Ghana to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 7, which is to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy, would require active inclusion of women in all facets of the industry’s operations.

According to her, women represent 50.7 per cent of Ghana’s population and are important energy consumers due to their traditional role in household chores and the agri-food sector, therefore, stressing the need for women to be interested in clean cooking initiatives.

Touching on initiatives that have been pursued to promote gender parity, Madam Frema Osei Opare said successive governments have promoted Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education to allow students to acquire critical and independent thinking skills and become creative to solve problems.

Madam Akosua Frema Osei Opare noted that despite the energy sector being tagged as male-dominated, some corporate policies concerning equality inclusion and diversification create a happy workforce, and called on the few women in the industry, who are in leadership positions, to remain a shining example to others.

The Acting Chief Director at the Ministry of Energy, Mrs Wilhelmina Asamoah said she strongly believes Ghanaian women have a critical role to play in the exploitation of Ghana’s hydrocarbon resources, hydro, thermal and renewable just like their counterparts in advanced jurisdictions.

She said the three-day conference would provide an opportunity for women to share ideas, network and also within the current energy transition conversation, find the way forward in addressing issues in the energy sector.

Prof. Nana Ama Browne Klutse, an Associate Professor at the Department of Physics, University of Ghana, noted that a recent report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) showed that women who have jobs in the energy sector globally constitute only 22 per cent-23 per cent.

Prof. Ama Klutse described the figure as not encouraging and underscored the need for efforts to be made to encourage more girls to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education to be able to take up future jobs in the energy sector.

The CEO of VRA, CEO of Petroleum, MD of ECG, CEO of GRIDCo and Executive Secretary of Energy Commission delivered a statement on what their respective organisations are doing to promote women.

The organizers of the Women in Energy appreciated Dr. Cherub Antwi-Nsiah, a former Director for Gender and Social Inclusion at MiDA, Dr. Joyce Aryee, a Board Member of VRA and Madam Akosua Frema Osei Opare for their contributions towards women’s development in the country by presenting them with citations.

Source: https://energynewsafrica.com