The subject was the topic of debate at an event held on Wednesday evening (2), during the G20 program in Foz do Iguaçu (PR)
Equal treatment of men and women, combating energy poverty and energy transition are completely interconnected topics, pointed out several authorities and experts from the global energy sector this Wednesday evening, the 2nd, at the event “Women in the Energy Transition”. The meeting took place during the G20 Energy Ministerial Meeting, which runs until tomorrow (4), in Foz do Iguaçu (PR).
“The energy sector is one of those with the least participation of women”, stated the president of the UN Sustainable Energy for All initiative, Damilola Ogunbiyi, calling on the organizations present to fight for equal conditions and opportunities for men and women, an essential condition for a fair energy transition. “In addition, women are the most impacted by energy poverty (lack of access to modern energy services)”.
President of the UN Sustainable Energy for All initiative, Damilola Ogunbiyi. Photo credit: Marcos Labanca/Itaipu Binacional.
In this context, according to the Minister of Women, Cida Gonçalves, Brazil has good examples to offer, such as the Luz para Todos (Light for All) program, which in 20 years has benefited more than 17 million people, reaching 3.6 million Brazilian homes that previously did not have access to electricity. “The most benefited were women, who now have a refrigerator, and can therefore store and keep their food safe, for example,” said the minister.
Debate
The event featured a discussion moderated by the Executive Secretary of the Ministry of Women, Maria Helena Guarezi. In this session, the President and CEO of Women in Renewable Energy (Wire), Joanna Osawe, addressed the challenges of inclusion by presenting the initiative “Equal by 2030,” where organizations commit to achieving gender equity by the end of this decade.
Carla Achão, Superintendent of Economic and Energy Studies at the Energy Planning Company (EPE), detailed an important partnership between EPE, the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME), and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), which integrates energy transition with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The goal is to generate a database to support public policies aimed at combating energy poverty. “This will allow us to identify who needs assistance the most,” she stated, highlighting that the team responsible for the project is predominantly female.
Carmen Garcia Ainardi, International Affairs Advisor at the Chilean Ministry of Energy, demonstrated that the situation in the Chilean energy sector follows a trend observed globally: only 23% female participation (and 9% when considering the more technical and operational areas).
At Itaipu the situation is not different, with the company maintaining an 80/20 ratio between men and women. To change this scenario, the Binational invests in training and inclusion of women in the communities connected to the plant. “Some of the focus areas for social action include working with social organizations preferably led by women, providing support to women facing violence, and internal public literacy,” emphasized Jéssica Maris Maciel, Coordinator of the Gender, Race, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee at Itaipu.
Mariana Espécie, Special Advisor to the Ministry of Mines and Energy, concluded the debate by highlighting that an important legacy of hosting the G20 in Brazil is the drafting of guiding principles for energy transition, one of which establishes the need to incorporate gender balance and empower vulnerable populations. “It is a seed that Brazil sows for the 20 largest economies in the world, encouraging other countries and organizations to advance a multilateral agenda for joint solutions toward a fair and inclusive energy transition,” she summarized.
Joint efforts
The opening of the meeting was also attended by the deputy minister of the General Secretariat of Brazil’s Presidency, Kelli Mafort; ministers Alexandre Silveira (MME) and Wellington Dias (Development and Social Assistance, Family and Fight against Hunger); and the secretary of Climate, Energy and Environment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE), André Corrêa do Lago, who highlighted the joint efforts of different areas of the Federal Government for an inclusive transition.
This was also the tone of the speeches by the Brazilian General Director of Itaipu, Enio Verri; the president of Petrobras, Magda Chambriard; and the president of the Brazilian Association of Airlines (Abear), Jurema Monteiro. “I am certain that we will soon see an increase in the participation of women in positions and in companies like Itaipu. And most importantly, the removal of women from the situation of energy poverty and marginalization that they live in today,” concluded Verri.
