ENERGIA International Network on Gender and Sustainable Energy and Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), are pleased to invite you to the side event “Transforming lives through energy inclusion: Experiences from grass-root women entrepreneurs”
Virtual event: June 22, 2021 | 06:00 – 07:00 EST / 12:00 – 13:00 CEST / 15:30 – 16:30 IST
To join, click here.
Meeting ID: 872 6521 0358
Password: 143159
Even though progress has been made towards achieving Social Development Goal 7 (SDG7), this progress has been too slow to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for everyone by 2030. Globally, 7.9 million people still lack access to electricity and 2.9 billion people are deprived of clean cooking technologies. However, achieving SDG7 is essential for achieving other SDGs, including those related to gender equality, health, poverty reduction, climate and environment. Gender equality and women’s empowerment are fundamental to development.
Adding to the energy gap, women and female-headed households lag even more behind in accessing energy, which negatively affects their health, wellbeing and economic welfare. Access to energy can help them lift their families out of poverty, educate their children and sustain more healthy families. Women are alarmingly underrepresented in the energy sector at large. At the same time, despite the challenges they face, women are critical in providing and scaling energy access, as entrepreneurs in the supply chain and as leaders. They are driving positive change in the lives of their families and communities, contributing to sustainable economies and playing a critical role in achieving the SDGs.
To make the Ministerial Forums of the UN High-level Dialogue on Energy a truly inclusive platform to press for accelerated action towards the achievement of the SDG7 2030 targets, there is an important need to incorporate the voices of the grass-root women energy entrepreneurs. This session will bring in real-time experiences of four women, who have transformed their lives and their communities thanks to access to renewable energy.
Speakers:
- Marie Ka, Producer of fruit juices, solar pasteurizer and solar freezer operator, Senegal
- Lilian Saliu, Solar energy entrepreneur, Nigeria
- Usha Solanki, Organizer grassroot initiative salt farm workers group, using solar salt-water pump, India
- Saroj Rohit, Clean cookstove entrepreneur, India
The session will be facilitated by:
Silvia Sartori, ENERGIA Women’s Economic Empowerment Program Manager
Please find here a downloadable version of the above information.
