New initiative supports women in green energy in Egypt

It aims to enhance employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for women in the industry

A new programme that aims to put women at the centre of Egypt’s transition to a greener economy and promote gender equality in renewable energy has been launched.

The Programme for Supporting Renewable Energy and Promoting Gender Equality in Egypt is part of a joint $7 million (£5.3m) co-operation initiative funded by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF).

It aims to identify and address key barriers hindering the development of the region’s renewable energy economy and enhance employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for women in the industry.

The EBRD states: “With one of the fastest-growing populations globally, Egypt has seen a rapid increase in energy demand in recent years. To meet that need, Egypt and the EBRD have identified scaling up the country’s renewable energy capacity as a strategic priority.

“As a result, the Egyptian renewable energy sector is set to create new jobs, which represents a significant opportunity for women in Egypt to expand their skills and participate in a high-value, high-growth sector. The programme will strive to identify challenges that prevent women’s participation in the sector and potential skills mismatches and will work with the Egyptian authorities to overcome these issues.”

The EBRD has committed more than €4.8 billion (£4bn) to financing 91 projects in Egypt, including 16 renewable projects, across a wide range of sectors.

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