Women have been urged to increase gender diversity at all levels to promote their empowerment in the country, Mrs Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, the Chief of Staff at the Presidency, has stated
"The role of women can never be underestimated considering the relationship between energy transition and gender perspective in Ghana," she added.
She said this at the "Women in Energy Conference 2022" in Accra yesterday.
The three-day programme seeks to maximise women participation in the energy sector and create a conductive atmosphere to promote gender equality in line with sustainable development goals.
The programme under the auspices of the Ministry of Energy is on the theme "Energy Transition: Prospects for women in energy."
It is being attended by participants from agencies such as the Energy Commission, National Petroleum Commission, Volta River Authority, Electricity Company of Ghana, Ghana Grid Company, and Tema Oil Refinery.
Mrs Osei-Opare said women representing 50.7 per cent of Ghana's population were important energy consumers, due to their traditional role in household chores and in the agri-food sector.
She said the energy sector remained in a state of transition with triple crises of climate change, energy security and rising prices posing severe danger to all economies, industries and households.
Mrs Frema-Opare said successive governments in Ghana had mainstreamed various intervention towards ensuring gender parity in all sectors of Ghana's economy.
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An Associate Professor of the Department of Physics, Professor Nana Browne Klutse, said women inclusion in the energy sector was more important.
She said in Africa women accounted for less than a quarter of employees in the energy industry.
She mentioned some of the barriers that affected women inclusion in the energy sector as stereotyping, cultural and societal norms, lack of training and mentorship.
Prof. Klutse stressed the need to promote entrepreneurship and financial support for women in the sector.
She stressed the need to redefine the recruitment practices and install gender inclusivity, allow flexible working hours, provide diversity and inclusive training and mentoring.
The acting Chief Director of the Ministry of Energy, Mrs Wilhelmina Asamoah, in her welcome address stated that the conference would help create opportunity for women to share ideas and network within the current energy transition conversation.
She said it would also provide a way forward in areas of engineering human resource, entrepreneurship, and mentorship.
