Chief Director at the Ministry of Energy, Mrs Wilhelmina Asamoah has reminded her colleague women of the strategic role they have to play in the current energy transition conversation.
Speaking at the Opening Session of the 2022 Women in Energy Conference on Tuesday morning at the Alisa Hotel, Mrs Asamoah said there is a need to work with the needed synergies to promote gender equality and social inclusion in the Energy Sector of Ghana, pursuant to the collective achievement of SDGs 5, 7 and 10.
According to Mrs Asamoah the theme for this year’s conference “Energy Transition: Prospects for Women in Energy” is one that resonates with the conversation of the current times.
The Energy Transition conversation she said continues to gain traction across the world and we in Africa continue to drum home a very consistent narrative of not being against the transition to cleaner forms of energy in principle.
“We however believe that the conversation must be had within a careful context, taking into account the particular circumstances of the African continent towards the comprehensive utilization of our energy resources for economic growth. Ladies and Gentlemen, at the just ended COP27 in Egypt, we re-echoed the position that we do not want to be left with stranded assets and I believe strongly that as women in the sector we have a critical role to play”
She said Ghana’s energy transition framework which was out doored by H.E. the President seeks to primarily ensure that all facets of the Ghanaian society are kept in the loop as far as our responsible exploitation of our natural resources for our development and transition at our own pace is concerned.
She added that it is for this reason that gatherings like the Women in Energy Conference are important towards critically examining the areas of focus for the Ghanaian woman in the context of the larger transition agenda.
Mrs Asamoah further called for the deepening of efforts towards making STEM education attractive to young women as it is a firm basis for the cut career paths in the energy sector.
The Women in Energy Conference which is under the auspices of the Ministry of Energy and the Millennium Development Authority is expected to provide a fine opportunity for women to share ideas, network and also within the current energy transition conversation, find the way forward in the areas of Engineering, Human Resource, Entrepreneurship as well as Internship and Mentoring.
It will also provide the opportunity for all of us to understand the legal nuances underpinning the energy transition conversation within the overarching context of our energy transition framework.
Chief of Staff at the Office of the President, Hon. Akosua Frema Opare who was the guest of honour at the Conference and Mrs Asamoah received citations in recognition of their sterling contributions to women’s empowerment.