Johannesburg - Two women's groups comprising eminent individuals with diverse expertise are bringing women's voices to the forefront of finding solutions to the energy problem.
Despite the fact that only slightly more than 40% of people in Sub-Saharan Africa have access to grid electricity, the International Women's Forum of South Africa (IWFSA) and South African Women in Dialogue (SAWID) hosted the IWFSA Energy Symposium 2023 on Tuesday, in recognition of the crucial role that energy availability plays in enabling sustainable development.
According to Rich Hlatshwayo, spokesperson for the International Women's Forum of South Africa, the symposium will be sponsored by Standard Bank, which has promised to mobilise a total of R250 billion to R300 billion in sustainable finance by the end of 2026.
Hlatshwayo said that it would bring together female leaders and industry experts to examine practical solutions to South Africa's ongoing energy problem.
"From 2pm to 5pm, the event will be streamed live on https://www.multi-mediaverse.com/ under the topic "Women Power Helps Solve the Energy Crisis."
"The symposium, hosted by Joanne Joseph, will begin with a fireside conversation with Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa.
"This will be followed by two panel discussions to unpack practical and tangible energy solutions, as well as finance options and reliable information available to enable businesses and homeowners to access renewable and efficient energy solutions."
He went on to say that the first panel discussion will focus on energy solutions in South Africa with Vincenzia Leitich, Executive Head of Energy and Infrastructure at Standard Bank; Bertha Dlamini, founding President of African Women in Energy and Power (AWEaP), and Noxolo Kahlana, former founder and MD of Energy House ZA.
"The second deep-dive panel will look at funding options and solutions, referring to Lucretia Kumalo, Divisional Executive for Client Support and Growth at the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), Jan Mahlangu, Chairman of the Public Investment Corporation, and Anneke Lund, Executive Head of Sustainable Finance at Standard Bank," said Hlatshwayo.
"Energy is a catalyst for women's economic empowerment," said Irene Charnley, president of the IWFSA.
"It is necessary to address the energy poverty experienced by women, particularly in rural areas while caring for households and children."
"By bringing together experts and thought leaders from women-led organisations in both the private and public sectors, this symposium can give us the spirit of patriotism to see our South Africa reset itself in the right direction."
"By collaborating, we can leverage our collective knowledge and experience to advocate for policies and programs that promote gender equality, address energy poverty, and promote women's economic development," she said.
SAWID Chairperson Thoko Mpumlwana said women were disproportionally impacted by power blackouts as they bear the brunt of load shedding, which puts them at risk of physical and sexual abuse.
She said: "Women and girls are disproportionately affected by load-shedding due to traditional household roles."
"Studies have shown that access to electricity improves baseline living conditions for women, including health, nutrition, and knowledge," said Mpumlwana.
The Star