Rep seeks increased women participation in renewable energy

Uche Usim, Abuja

The need for increased women’s engagement in the renewable sector was the thrust of discussion at the recent International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Legislators’ Forum in Abu Dhabi.

Speaking at the event, the House of Representatives member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia North/South Federal Constituency of Abia State and Vice President (Africa) of Global Legislators Organization for a Balanced Environment (GLOBE) International, Samuel Onuigbo called for enhanced action towards increasing women’s participation in the renewable energy sector, as part of measures to raise the bar towards addressing issues of climate change and empowering them economically.

Onuigbo made the assertion in his presentation on the topic “Measures to Improve Women’s Engagement in the Renewable Sector”, said his three decades of experience as a community leader afforded him the opportunity to appreciate the fact that women are passionate and committed drivers for positive change in societies that should be engaged in the renewable sector through laws, strategies and deliberate policies to combat climate change in order to achieve Green economy” he added.

He also called for the deployment of a combination of laws, actions and innovative approaches at the local and national levels to address gender inequality and guarantee women’s empowerment and access to finance and education. “This is all the more important because when a woman is trained, a nation is built” he said.

In the same vein, the Vice Chairman, ICT Committee in the Kenyan Parliament, Senator Abshiro Soka Halake disclosed that the Kenyan government had put in place a policy to further provide level playing ground for women through the Procurement Law which “reserves 30% of the procurement activities for Women and Youths and this includes renewables,” she said.

Speaking further, Senator Halake also stated that Kenya has attained over 40% of its energy through renewables which according to her, can make greater impact Africa if women are effectively positioned in the scheme of things especially in policy initiatives and implementation bordering on renewable energy.

IRENA fora are annual events where global discussions on the deployment of renewable energy sources are undertaken by experts and policymakers across the globe to checkmate environmental challenges caused by energy sources, while engendering sustainable development.

The main objectives of IRENA include raising awareness of the importance of intensifying global efforts to deploy renewable energy, and to discuss their impact on the energy transformation and sustainable development, connecting policymakers, experts and innovators worldwide to learn from each other, and share best practice and experiences on issues of common interest.