Women in Energy and Development: A Practitioner’s View

Women in developing countries have a distinct role in leading a global energy transition, one that improves access, while promoting social and environmental goals. In fact, some of the most daunting aspects of energy poverty disproportionately affect women, notably the 2.7 billion people who still lack access to clean cooking – a function that continues to be dominated by women. In response to this challenge, development organizations have focused their efforts on reaching women, promoting their role in leading the energy transition, and increasing their own diversity and number of women staff and managers. But success both in terms of impact on the ground and within institutions has been mixed.    CGEP’s Energy for Development and Women in Energy programs are co-hosting a panel discussion on the perspective of women practitioners in this area. The event will draw on the experience of women across different types of institutions (development banks, academia, and the private sector advisory world) and across countries. Adjunct Senior Research Scholar Philippe Benoit, who leads CGEP’s energy for development work, will moderate the panel.  The panel will include the following experts:   Janina Franco, Senior Energy Specialist, Latin America Region, World Bank Eugenia McGill, Senior Lecturer in the Discipline of International and Public Affairs and the Interim Director of the Economic and Political Development Concentration at SIPA Waafas Ofosu-Amaah, retired Senior Gender Specialist, World Bank Julia Rohrer, Project Manager, Dalberg Advisors Philippe Benoit, Adjunct Senior Research Scholar, CGEP — Registration is required for in-person attendance. The event will also be live-streamed at: http://energypolicy.columbia.edu/livestream. This event is open to press. Media attending the event should register using the registration link above. Media inquiries or requests for interviews should be directed to Artealia Gilliard (ag4144@sipa.columbia.edu). For more information contact: energypolicy@columbia.edu.