Women in Renewable Energy & Sustainability

Why in News?

Recently, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE),
in collaboration with the International Solar Alliance (ISA), organized a
webinar on “Women in Renewable Energy and Sustainability”.

1. Theme of First Panel: “Women Leadership in Renewables:
   Envisioning a New World”
2. Theme of Second Panel: “Women Entrepreneurs in RE: A gateway
   to innovation and economic growth”

About Webinar on Women in Renewable Energy and
Sustainability:

• The webinar was joined by audiences from around the world.
• This was an opportunity to open a consequential dialogue
  towards bringing more and more women to the forefront and in leading positions
  in the Renewable Energy sector as well as making entrepreneurial opportunities
  available to them.
• The webinar was also a part of India’s global advocacy
  efforts in the role of a Global Theme Champion for the UN High Level Dialogue
  on Energy which is set to take place in September 2021.

Women and Energy:

• Every day, women around the world face the worst
  consequences of not having modern energy access.
• They spend more than 40 per cent of family income on
  inefficient and dangerous kerosene and candles for lighting.
• They walk long distances to collect firewood.
• They deliver babies in darkness, and they toil in smoky
  kitchens and venture out at night to use outdoor latrines without adequate
  light.
• Girls are left behind without educational opportunities due
  to the lack of reliable light.
• Ensuring that women and girls have energy access is not just
  about women’s rights—it’s a fundamental human rights issue.
• A number of quantitative and qualitative studies have shown
  that clean energy access is linked with better chances for girls to complete
  primary education and for women to earn better wages, while it also contributes
  to a reduction in gender-based violence.
• Ability to power mobile phones means better connectivity and
  better business opportunities.
• What clean energy access can do for women is only half the
  story. 
  
• There is a strong case for what women can do to expand clean
  energy access and to fight on the front lines against climate change.

The importance of women-led innovation in supporting the
Sustainable Energy for All objectives related to universal energy access and
renewable energy.