The Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Dr. Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu has advocated for gender equity and inclusion in the energy sector, emphasizing the need to empower women for accelerated progress.
Speaking at “The 2024 Women in Energy Forum” dinner held at the Golf Course Hotel on 13, March, 2024 in Kampala, the minister highlighted the importance of uplifting women to drive positive change in the industry.
Dr Nankabirwa stressed the significance of promoting and supporting women to ensure their sustained participation and growth in the energy sector.
She called for initiatives aimed at creating a sustainable network of women professionals and leaders, particularly from rural areas, while providing them with essential guiding principles for their careers.
Furthermore, the minister emphasized the importance of understanding and addressing the challenges faced by women and young mothers in the energy sector.
She encouraged women to strive for leadership positions and pledged to collaborate with development partners to support initiatives promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment in the sector.
Ms. Nankabirwa also committed to ensuring that top positions in the energy sector are retained by women, affirming that she would not replace female officers with male counterparts upon the completion of their terms.
The forum, themed “A Working Strategy to Address Gender Disparities in the Energy Sector,” facilitated discussions on promoting gender equality within the industry.
Participants, including scholars, women CEOs, and students from various institutions such as Makerere University, Uganda Christian University, and Busitema University, engaged in panel discussions and proposed strategies to address career guidance gaps effectively.
Key demands from the students included government-led initiatives to encourage young women to pursue challenging courses in the sciences and increased media representation of women in the energy sector to serve as inspiration for aspiring professionals.
The event concluded with a call for collaborative efforts among government institutions, private sector entities, and civil society organizations to remove barriers and create an inclusive environment for women in the energy sector.
Participants expressed their commitment to implementing the discussed strategies to foster a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable future for Uganda’s energy industry.
