How our story began

ENERGIA was founded in 1996, with the aim to increase women’s recognition, participation and representation at all levels in the energy sector, and to close the existing knowledge gap.

At the time of our founding, gender inequalities in energy – the very enabler of development and empowerment – were rarely acknowledged. Gender equality in general however, was starting to gain momentum. At the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995, 189 countries signed up to the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action, pledging to undertake specific actions to achieve gender equality in 12 areas, including women and the environment and women in power and decision-making.

A group of experts at the conference noted the lack of attention to gender in the energy sector, and established ENERGIA in direct response. ENERGIA’s initial aims were to increase the recognition of gender issues in energy planning, policies and programs, while also raising awareness of the interlinkages between energy, poverty and gender.

Since then, ENERGIA’s advocacy work to increase women’s representation, agency and recognition in the energy sector has evolved through six distinct phases. Learn about each phase of our advocacy here.

Now in its seventh phase, ENERGIA has established itself as a leading network with convening power, expertise and experience on the interconnectedness of gender and energy, to drive women’s economic empowerment, climate justice, and energy inclusivity.

Key moments in ENERGIA’s history

Read reflections from our founding member, Professor Jo Clancy, on the journey, achievements and lasting impacts ENERGIA and our partners have made over more than two decades.

Learn more about ENERGIA’s advocacy work over the decades to bring gender into the energy conversation: 25 years of Advocacy.